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Tanzania
National Social Security Fund Act
Chapter 50
- Published in Tanzania Government Gazette
- Commenced on 1 July 1998
- [This is the version of this document as it was at 31 July 2002 to 8 June 2008.]
- [Note: This legislation was revised and consolidated as at 31 July 2002 and 30 November 2019 by the Attorney General's Office, in compliance with the Laws Revision Act No. 7 of 1994, the Revised Laws and Annual Revision Act (Chapter 356 (R.L.)), and the Interpretation of Laws and General Clauses Act No. 30 of 1972. All subsequent amendments have been researched and applied by Laws.Africa for TANZLII.]
Part I – Preliminary provisions (ss. 1-2)
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the National Social Security Fund Act.2. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—"benefit" means a benefit payable under this Act;"Board" means the Board of Trustees of the National Social Security Fund;"child" includes a step child, a child born out of wedlock and an adopted child; in relation to insured person;"commuting accident" means accident occurring to the insured person and involving his employer's means of transport;"contract of service" has the meaning ascribed to that expression in the Employment Ordinance;"contributing employer" means—(a)every person, corporate or unincorporate body of persons having a contract of service or apprenticeship with an employee; and(b)every government department employing employees not covered under the Government schemes;"contributing employment" means employment in respect of an insured person;"contribution period" means where wages are paid an employee—(a)at intervals of more than a fortnight, the month during which the wages are paid; or(b)at intervals of more than a week but not more than a fortnight, the fortnight ending with the last day of the week in which the wages are paid; or(c)daily, the day on which the wages are paid:Provided that where wages are paid in advance to an employee the contributions period shall be deemed to be the appropriate period to which the wages relate and, if the wages relate to more than such period, each such period shall be deemed to be a contribution period;"dependant" means a member of the family of an insured person who was wholly or in part dependent upon his earnings at the time of his death, or would but for the illness of the insured person have been so dependent:Provided that a person shall not be deemed to be a partial dependant of another person unless he was dependant partially on assistance from that other person from the provision of the ordinary necessaries of life suitable for person of his station;"Director-General" means the Director-General of the Fund appointed under this Act;"employee" means any person who—(a)is employed in Mainland Tanzania under any contract of service or apprenticeship with an employer, whether by way of manual labour, clerical work or otherwise and howsoever paid; or(b)is permanently resident in Mainland Tanzania and is employed outside Mainland Tanzania under a contract of service with an employer in Mainland Tanzania by whom he is paid;"employee's share" means that portion of a statutory contribution declared by the First Schedule to this Act to be the employee's share of such contribution;"existing fund" means the National Provident Fund;"Fund" means the National Social Security Fund established by section 3;"insured person" means a person insured under this Act;"minimum wage" means the amount determined annually by the Minimum Wage Board as the average gross monthly earnings for persons employed locally in Tanzania;"Minister" means the Minister responsible for labour matters;"pensionable age" means the age of sixty years;"special lump sum" means an amount equal to the insured person's last monthly contribution times the number of months of contributions paid to the Fund;"Trustee" means a member of the Board and includes a chairman of the Board;"wages" means remuneration in money paid to an employee under his contract of service or apprenticeship, as the case may be, and whether agreed to be paid at fixed or determinable intervals of time—(a)in respect of normal periods of work to be performed by the employee; or(b)where payment is calculated in relation to set tasks or journeys completed by the employee; or(c)where payment is calculated in relation to the volume of work done, in respect of the volume completed by the employee,and includes any allowance paid by the employer to the employee either directly or by implication in respect of living and any payment of wages in lieu of notice of termination of employment;"widow or widower" includes a spouse and any person whom the deceased member had been living with as a wife or husband for at least two years.Part II – National Social Security Fund (ss. 3-5)
3. Constitution of National Social Security Fund
4. Management and administration of Fund
5. Vesting of existing Fund to the National Social Security Fund
Part III – Insured persons and contributing employers (ss. 6-10)
6. Insured persons
7. Insured ministers of religion
8. Certain employees not registrable
9. Continuity of insurance despite loss qualifications for registration
A person registered as an insured person shall not cease to be insured by reason of the fact that, since registration—10. Contribution records of insured persons
The Board shall establish and maintain for each insured person record of all contributions made to the Fund in respect of the person for purposes of calculating the insured person's benefits as provided in this Act.Part IV – Registration and contributions to the Fund (ss. 11-20)
11. Registration of employers
12. Statutory contributions by contributing employers
13. Deductions of employee's share
14. Payment of contributions
15. Treating unpaid contributions as paid
Where the Director-General is satisfied that an employee's contribution has been deducted from his earnings, but the employer has failed to pay the contribution together with the paid employer's contributions to the Fund, he may treat the unpaid contributions as wholly or partially paid for the purpose of any claim to the payment of benefits provided that this shall be without prejudice to any action to recover the amount due from the employer.16. Refund of contributions paid in error
Where the Director-General is satisfied that any amount has been paid to the Fund as contributions which were not properly payable and that the amount was paid as a result of error a bona fide error, the amount paid in error shall be refunded or applied, with the consent of the person who made the payment, to any current liability.17. Payment by an insured person
18. Recovery of contributions and penalty
Every statutory contribution and penalty due to the Fund shall be a debt due to the Fund and may be recovered as such by the Board by suit at anytime within six years after the date on which it was due.19. Contributions when benefit drawn or during bankruptcy of employee
Nothing in this Act shall be construed as relieving a contributing employer from liability to make contributions to the Fund in respect of any employee—20. Contributions, etc., inalienable
Part V – Benefits (ss. 21-52)
21. Classes of benefits
The following classes of benefits are payable under this Act, namely—22. Operation dates in respect of the benefits
No benefit payable under this Act except the benefits mentioned in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of section 21 shall be payable in respect of any period before the date on which the Minister by order in the Gazette, declare to be the date on which any benefit becomes payable.23. Conditions for retirement pension
Subject to the provisions of this Act retirement pension shall be payable to an insured person who—24. Amount of retirement pension
25. Duration of retirement pension
The retirement pension payment shall commence from the month following the month in which the retired employee satisfies the conditions under section 23 and end with the month in which the pensioner dies.26. Retirement special lump sum
A member who has attained pensionable age and has retired from employment but does not meet the qualification prescribed in paragraph (b) of section 23 shall be entitled only to the payment of a special lump sum.27. Early retirement
28. Conditions for invalidity pension
29. Amount of invalidity pension
30. Duration of invalidity pension
Subject to the provisions of this Act, invalidity pension shall be payable for the duration of a permanent invalidity commencing with the month following the date of the invalidity and ending either—31. Invalidity special lump sum
Where an insured person is suffering from invalidity but does not satisfy the qualifying conditions under paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of section 28 he shall be entitled to a special lump sum payment.32. Medical examinations
33. Conditions for survivors pension
34. Amount of survivors pension
The survivors pension payable to a dependant shall be in the prescribed pension percentage—35. Duration of survivors pension
Survivors pension shall be payable on the following bases, namely—36. Survivors special lump sum payment
Where a deceased insured person did not satisfy the qualifying conditions specified under section 33, his dependants shall be entitled to a special lump sum payment.37. Retirement and invalidity grant
38. Funeral grant
39. Employment injury benefit
40. Types of employment injury benefits
41. Condition for health insurance
Health insurance benefit shall be paid to an insured person, the spouse and four children of the insured if the insured person has contributed to the Fund for a minimum of three months of which three months of contributions were paid to the Fund in the three months immediately preceding the medical contingency.42. Medical benefits to be provided
43. Agreements with medical providers
The Board shall appoint and enter into agreement with different hospitals and dispensaries which will be accredited to provided medicare services to insured persons and their families.44. Conditions for maternity benefit
Maternity benefit shall be payable—45. Types of maternity benefits
The following types of benefits are payable under the maternity benefit, namely—46. Disapplication of section 28 of the Employment Act
The provisions of section 28 of the Employment Act 2 shall not apply to employers registered with the Fund.47. Restriction on double benefit
No insured person shall be entitled at anytime to more than one benefit, and if he qualifies for more benefits than one at the same time he shall be paid one of them which is the highest.48. Adjustment of benefits
Benefit rates shall be reviewed from time to time by the Board and adjusted in line with actuarial valuation of Fund.49. Time and manner of making claims
50. Regulations for benefit provision
Regulations may make provision for—51. Repayment of benefit improperly received
52. Benefit to be inalienable
Every assignment or charge on benefit and every agreement to assign or charge any benefit shall be void, and on bankruptcy of a beneficiary the benefit shall not pass to any trustee or other person acting on behalf of creditors.Part VI – Board of Trustees of National Social Security Fund (ss. 53-60)
53. Establishment of Board of Trustees
54. Management objectives of the Fund
The Board shall manage the Fund in accordance with the following objectives—55. Functions of the Board
The functions of the Board shall be—56. Duties of the Board
It shall be the duty of the Board—57. Powers of the Board
In the performance of its functions the Board shall have power to—58. Remuneration, allowances and benefits
The Trustees shall be entitled to receive such remuneration, allowances and other benefits as the Minister may direct.59. Power to delegate
60. Minister may give directions to the Board
The Minister may give the Board directions of general or specific nature as to the performance of the Board of any of its functions in relation to any matter appearing to the Minister to affect the national interest, and the Board shall give effect to every such directions.Part VII – Financial provisions (ss. 61-71)
61. Fund to vest in Board
62. Investment of moneys in the Fund
Investment of money shall be done by the Board in any viable venture as it may consider appropriate having regard to the economic and commercial viability.63. Utilisation of Fund for acquisition of assets
The Board may, subject to provisions of section 67 utilise moneys in the Fund for the acquisition of land, or acquisition or construction of buildings and acquisition of equipment and other assets required for the administration of the Board and the efficient performance by it of its functions.64. Board's liability to insured persons guaranteed
To the extent that the Board is, by reason of insufficiency of funds at its disposal, unable to meet its liability to any insured person for any benefit to which such person is entitled under this Act, or for any portion of any such benefit, the entitlement of such insured person to such benefit or such portion of benefit shall constitute a charge on and be paid out of the Consolidated Fund.65. Refund of excess contributions
Any moneys paid to the Fund in excess of the amount for which an employer is liable in respect of an employee or in excess of the maximum statutory contribution payable for a contribution period may be refunded to the employer or the employee or both, as the case may be, in such manner as the Board may determine.66. Financial resources
The funds and resources of the Board shall consist of—67. Annual and supplementary budget
68. Power to borrow
The Board may, borrow moneys for the purposes of the Board by way of loan or overdraft, and upon such security and such terms relating to the repayment of the principal and the payment of interest as the Board may deem fit.69. Accounts and audit
70. Fund account
For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that the Fund and the monies in the account established pursuant to section 61 shall not constitute or be regarded as funds of the Board but shall, for the purposes of this Act and all other written laws, be deemed to be funds held by the Board in trust for the insured persons and the Government of the United Republic to be administered by the Board in accordance with the provisions of this Act:Provided that it shall be lawful for the Board to make payments out of the Fund for any of the purposes for which payments out of the Fund Account are expressly authorised by this Act.71. Accounts of the Fund
The Board shall cause to be kept, maintained and audited the accounts of the Fund in the same manner and to the same extent as the accounts of the Board are required to be kept, maintained and audited by section 69 and the provisions of subsections (2), (3) and (4) of section 69 shall apply mutatis mutandis, in relation to the accounts, the statement of accounts and auditors' report in relation to the Fund and the Reserve Account.Part VIII – Legal proceedings, offences and penalties (ss. 72-79)
72. Criminal proceedings
73. Joinder in cases of non-payment of contributions
74. Legal proceedings
Any action for the recovery of contributions and all criminal proceedings under section 72 may be instituted by the Director-General, an inspector, or other officer of the Board appointed by the Board in that behalf, and where action is instituted court, any person authorised by this section may appear and conduct the case.75. Priority for payment of contributions
Where the Director-General has given the court written notice of a claim under this Act and—76. Protection of contributions
The sum standing to the credit of an insured person shall, until paid out in accordance with the provisions of this Act, remain the property of the Fund and shall not form part of the assets of that person in the event of his bankruptcy or insolvency, or be liable to attachment in satisfaction of his debts.77. Protection against attachment
Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other written law, where any judgment or order has been obtained against a contributory insured person, no execution or attachment or process of any nature shall be issued against his contributions, except in accordance with the terms of the Fund and the contributions shall not form part of the assets of the insured person in the event of bankruptcy.78. Liability for acts of association of persons
Where an offence under this Act by any association of persons, whether corporate or unincorporated, is found to have been committed with the knowledge or connivance of, or is attributable to any act or default on the part of, any person or persons in apparent control of the association of persons, the person or persons in apparent control and the association of persons shall be deemed to have committed the offence.79. Certificates as evidence
A copy of an entry in the accounts of the Fund or other extract from the records of the Fund shall, when certified by the Director-General or any other officer of the Board nominated by the Board in that behalf by writing under the seal of the Board, be received in all courts as prima facie evidence of the truth of the contents thereof and, as the case may be, of the debt due to the Fund by any person.Part IX – Determination of claims to benefit and liability for contributions (ss. 80-85)
80. Responsibility of Director-General
The Director-General shall be responsible for the determination of claims to benefits and liability for the payment of contributions.81. Determination of claims to benefit
All claims to benefit shall be determined in the first instance by the Director-General.82. Determination of questions as to liability for contributions
83. Establishment of Social Security Appeals Tribunal
84. Establishment of a Medical Appeals Tribunal
85. Expenses of Medical Boards and Tribunals
The expenses and remuneration of members of medical boards, the Appeals Tribunal and the Tribunal shall be paid by the Board after determination by the Minister in consultation with the Board.Part X – General provisions (ss. 86-95)
86. Deemed to be in the employ of the first mentioned person
Where a person enters into a contract whereby some other person is to provide employees for any lawful purpose of the first mentioned person and it is not clear from the contract which of the two persons is the employer, the employees shall, unless the Director-General otherwise requires, be deemed for the purposes of this Act to be in the employ of the first mentioned person.87. Inspectors
88. Liability of members
Without prejudice to the provisions of section 284A of the Penal Code 3 or of the Specified Officers (Recovery of Debts) Act 4, no act done or omitted to be done, by any trustee or by any officer, employee or agent of the Board shall, when done or omitted bona fide in execution or purported execution of his duties as such trustee, officer, employee or agent, subject any such person to any action, liability or demand.89. Regulations
90. Tax exemption
91. Establishment of supplementary retirement funds
The employer of any employee and who is an insured person may also establish a supplementary retirement fund in relation to his employees in addition to the National Social Security Fund.92. Reciprocal agreements
93. Repeal of Cap. 564 and Act No. 2 of 1975
[Repeals the National Provident Fund Act.]94. Savings
Notwithstanding the repeals made under section 93—95. ***
[Omitted][Transitional and consequential provisions.]History of this document
11 October 2024 amendment not yet applied
Amended by
Social Security Laws (Amendments) Act, 2024
01 July 2018 amendment not yet applied
18 September 2015 amendment not yet applied
27 July 2012 amendment not yet applied
Amended by
Social Security Laws (Amendments) Act, 2012
09 June 2008 amendment not yet applied
Amended by
National Prosecutions Service Act, 2008
31 July 2002 this version
Consolidation
01 July 1998
Commenced
Cited documents 2
Act 2
1. | Public Officers (Recovery of Debts) Act | 49 citations |
2. | Parastatal Organisations Pensions Scheme Act | 11 citations |
Documents citing this one 70
Judgment 62
Gazette 6
Finding aid 1
1. | The Subsidiary Legislation of Tanzania Index - Vol. 2: 1998 - 2007 |
Law Reform Report 1
1. | Review of the Legal Framework on Elderly Social Care in Tanzania |
Subsidiary legislation
Title
|
|
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National Social Security Fund (Health Insurance Benefits) Regulations, 2005 | Government Notice 140 of 2005 |
National Social Security Fund (General) (Amendments) Regulations, 2003 | Government Notice 394 of 2003 |
National Social Security Fund (Employment Injury Benefits) Regulations, 2002 | Government Notice 97 of 2002 |
National Social Security Fund (Maternity Benefits) Regulations, 1999 | Government Notice 284 of 1999 |
National Social Security Fund (General) Regulations, 1998 | Government Notice 418 of 1998 |