The Tanzanian budget covers cash expenditures and receipts for the mainland only, and does not include Zanzibar government revenues and expenditures. Total expenditures include a development budget and revenues include profits from privatization sales. The fiscal year ends on 30 June. In the early 1980s, the annual budget deficit went over 10% of GDP, and payment arrears on external debts started to mount. Since 1986, the government has improved its fiscal and monetary policies, with mixed results. Tanzania qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.
The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) estimates that in 2000/2001 Tanzania's central government took in revenues of approximately $1 billion and had expenditures of $1.4 billion. Overall, the government registered a deficit of approximately $370 million. External debt totaled $6.8 billion.