Life Improvement on Retired Civil Servant in Tanzania: an Analysis of Social Security Policy in Tanzania

Salum Mohammed Ahmed, Lyatamila (Lyata) Ndyali

Since the main aim of social security is to help individuals maintains a reasonable standard of living when faced with social and economic contingencies, different countries including Tanzania develop specific policy in ensuring the proper provision of social security service towards their people. It is in this line therefore this paper providing critical analysis of social security policy with respect to the life improvement of retirees from public service sector in Tanzania. Using household survey data on pensioners from western region of Tanzania, which comprises of Geita, Kigoma and Kagera, this study employs an interpretive paradigm analysis to robustly identify, understand and suggest sources of retirement income as well as determine significant impact of these income sources with respect to financing consumption expenditure of retirees specifically after their retirement.

The study was conducted in Western Region-Tanzania since is among the leading regions in terms of poor efficiency on Social Security System provision for retired employees in Tanzania (Regional Administrative Secretary, 2010). The study employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Qualitative research entails as means for exploring and understanding the meaning; individuals or groups ascribed to a social human problem (Creswell, 2009). While qualitative approach dominated a large part of the study as it sought to generate the general theme from the analysis and interpretation of the collected data basically on challenges facing retired teachers in processing terminal benefit of their pensions. Most of the complaints revolved around were inadequacy of benefits, delays in payments, lack of up-to-date information about the schemes, complains about the amount which individual contributing to the scheme made as well as estimated benefits. Apart from this study, further researches especially on operationalizing surveys and in-depth interviews are highly encouraging for the aim of overcoming these identified limitations. The findings of the study will be of additional knowledge to the management different social security agencies found in Tanzania. This is due to the challenges they faced during the implementation of their social security strategies in realizing life improvement of retirees. The findings also hoped to benefit the Government of United Republic of Tanzania especially on institutions that concerning with management, implementation and proper supervision of policies, procedures and directives that regards to civil service retirement and statutory benefits issues visa vie social security policy implementation in Tanzania. The study contributes to the scanty literature on retirement income by robustly identifying the alternative sources of retirement income and their importance or significance to pensioners in Tanzania. It may also be used as a source of reference for other researchers based on life improvement on retired civil servant in general.