Tanzania pledges to improve retirees’ benefits and timely payment of their pension

DODOMA: THE Tanzanian government is committed to continuing to improve the welfare of retirees and ensuring they receive their pension benefits on time, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Labour, Employment and Labour Relations, Deus Sangu, has said.

Sangu made the remarks today, August 31, 2026, in Parliament in Dodoma while responding to Question No. 39 from Wete Member of Parliament Said Ali Mbarouk, who asked whether the government saw the need to abolish the pension calculation system, commonly known as the kikokotoo, for the Tanzania Police Force.

Sangu explained that pension payments are calculated and processed using established benefit-calculation formulas applied to members of social security schemes. The system is used for employees in both the public and private sectors, including members of the Tanzania Police Force.

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Addressing concerns over the use of the pension calculation system for police officers, Sangu said the Police Force is not the only government institution subject to the system. He noted that the Tanzania Prisons Service and other government institutions also use the same pension calculation framework.

He stressed that the use of the kikokotoo system does not mean that police officers are being discriminated against in the provision of retirement benefits.

Sangu further said the government has continued to strengthen the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), resulting in improvements in the processing and payment of benefits. He added that the government is taking further measures to ensure retirees receive their entitlements in a timely manner.