About Us

HakiPensheni Center

The HakiPensheni is a non-profit generating organ and its main objective is to protect and promote the pension rights of workers, retirees, and their families. We inspire to become a leader in East Africa region in providing accessible information about social security rights, entitlements, obligations and responsibilities among the contributors so as to make sure they have enough money to live on when they are too old to work. The aim is to become the east Africa’s leading pension educator, targeting at the forefront of efforts to reform the regional's pension programs, targeting inequities in pension laws, providing policymakers with reasoned analyses of pension issues, and proposing workable solutions to pension problems. 

Our vision is to make pensions accessible and we do this by explaining and resolving pension issues for everyone and to ensure that every retirement system simultaneously meets the needs of employers, employees, and the public interest and deliver social security entitlements with fairness, courtesy and efficiency. That is, one where:

•  Pension scheme can offer affordable, high quality retirement benefits that help employees achieve their human resources goals;
• Employees can count on a secure source of retirement income that will enable them to maintain a decent living standard after a lifetime of work;
• The public interest is well-served by retirement systems that are managed in ways that promote fiscal responsibility, economic growth, and responsible stewardship of retirement assets.

The Center’s mission is to produce first-class research and forge a strong link between the public pension funds, academic community and decision makers in the public and private sectors around an issue of critical importance to the nation’s future. The Center aims to be as an authoritative source of information on all major aspects of the pensions and retirement income debate in the regional.

The Center develops proposals for income security policies and priorities for reform, conduct research, evaluation and statistical analysis and consults clients, advisory bodies, community agencies and staff dealing with clients directly in examining the coverage, adequacy, and targeting aspects of income security programs with a focus on both qualitative and quantitative assessment of client service.

Therefore, we are here to:

• give general information and guidance on pension matters
• resolve problems an individual may have with their pension
• use our knowledge and insight to contribute to Government pension policy work 

We deliver our service through a variety of channels including newspapers columns, telephone helpline, written enquiries, and online enquiries and through our www.hakipensheni.blogspot.com website. We also act as impartial mediators in pension disputes involving occupational, personal saving and stakeholder pensions and do provide investment advice. Our website and leaflets cover all aspects of pensions in the United Republic of Tanzania and the rest of east Africa countries. We do not have statutory powers.

We raise awareness of our service through HakiPensheni column, press comments, feature articles, attending shows and conference speaking opportunities. We also partner with organizations, such as the Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA), State Social Security Pension Schemes, and social security week, retirement planning, pensions advice service and financial service.

Our service is free to the public. It is delivered by technical specialist staff and a nationwide network of volunteer advisers who have typically worked in the pensions industry in roles that have required a high level of technical knowledge. 

We aim to support the social security regulatory authority and public pension schemes in the country to deliver their strategic objectives to “help people to make proper provision for their retirement”.

Our vision is to make pensions accessible by providing people with information, guidance and support that helps them understand pensions, make informed decisions or resolve issues. And to ensure that those in greatest need are aware of, and able to access, those social security benefits for which they are eligible.

We believe that people need this service and we want to grow the service to reflect the increasing transparency that people should have on their income position in retirement.

 

Vision

To make pensions accessible

Mission

To explain and resolve pensions issues for everyone. 

Values

• communicate in a welcoming manner
• provide a confidential service
• deal with impartiality and integrity
• be trusted for our technical knowledge
• work to achieve better outcomes

What do we do?

• The HakiPensheni is an independent voluntary organization, dedicated to ensuring pensions are accessible to everyone. Our service is free.
• Each year we answer thousands of questions from members of the public about their pensions, and millions of people access pension information from our website. We also help resolve thousands of people’s pension problems and complaints.
•  Our experience of helping members of the public means we are uniquely placed to offer advice, insight and solutions on pension’s public policy.
• Our service is largely provided by a dedicated national network of volunteers drawn from across the pensions industry.
• We provide casework advice and assistance to individuals to ensure they can exercise their rights, fulfill their obligations, meet their responsibilities and maximize their entitlements under the Tanzanian social security system;
• We encourage employees and retired people and center to take active roles in projects/programs to develop social security and pension as a means of promoting health and alleviating poverty.
• We ensure that all people have the right in need have an adequate level of income support which is protected by law;
• We ensure that the people have the right to be treated with respect and dignity by social security regulatory body and those administering the social security system; 
• We ensure that people have the right to accessible information about social security rights and entitlements, obligations and responsibilities;
• We ensure that people have the right to receive prompt and appropriate service and social security payments without delay;
• We ensure that people have the right to a free, independent, informal, efficient and fair appeal system; 
• We ensure that people have the right to an independent complaints system; 
• We ensure that people have the right to independent advice and representation.
• We provide greater help to people to provide for their own support for, example by adopting a more “active” approach to encourage unemployed people to take up training and other activities to help them back into work and establish their own economic independence
• We don’t receive a grant from the social security regulatory authority which is funded from a general levy on occupational and public pension schemes 

Our approach will involve:

• High-quality research that informs the public debate on retirement policy. The research program will focus on the role and value of defined contributions (DC) and defined benefit (DB) pension plans for employers, employees, and the public at large. We will also conduct research on policy approaches and other innovative strategies to expand broad based retirement security.
• Education programs that disseminate our research findings broadly. HakiPensheni will disseminate its research findings to the public, policy makers, and the media by distributing reports, conducting briefings, and participating in conferences and other public forums.
•  Outreach to partners and key stakeholders. By building partnerships with other experts in the field of retirement research and with stakeholders that support retirement security, we will leverage the impact of our research and education efforts. Our outreach activities also will improve the capacity of government agencies, non-profits, the private sector, and others working to promote and expand retirement security.