Social Security and Child Care Services
Article 20.2(a-c)
The Government of Tanzania has over the years introduced a series of measures geared
towards providing social security to certain groups. Measures worth highlighting include
the policy of access to free primary education and healthcare for pregnant women and
under five children; provision of social welfare services to the most vulnerable groups;
and the establishment of statutory social security schemes. A National Social Security
Policy was adopted by the Government in 2003 to address challenges arising from a
number of socio-economic and political changes taking place in Tanzania. The aim of
the policy is to realize the goals and objectives set out in the vision 2025.
Currently there are five major formal institutions that provide social security protection in
Tanzania,40 and numerous informal social security arrangements, though the latter are
generally acknowledged to be weakening. The coverage for Social Security is limited to
the formal sector; efforts are currently being made for wider coverage to vulnerable
groups. A parallel social support system has emerged through the mutuality or local
credit schemes that attempts to offer solutions to limited formal social security. At the
same time through the implementation of the Most Vulnerable Children Support
Programme, communities are establishing village Trust Funds which enhance access to
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These include: National Social Security Fund (NSSF) offering social security coverage to employees of the private
sector and non-pensionable parastatal and Government employees; the Public Service Pension Fund (PSPF) providing
social security protection to employees of the central Government under pensionable term; the Parastatal Pension Fund
(PPF) offering social security coverage to employees of the both private and parastatal organizations; the Local
Authorities Provident Fund (LAPF) offering social security coverage to employees of the local Government and; the
National Insurance Fund (NHIF) offering health insurance coverage to pensionable employees of central Government.
Under the National Insurance Health program, all Tanzania Government employees are entitled with free health service
together with a maximum of four children per household.
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