The Minister of State in the President's Office for Planning and Investment, Professor Kitila Mkumbo, has called on the management of the Tanzania Social Action Fund (TASAF) to accelerate its transformation into a dedicated national institution focused on reducing poverty. Prof. Mkumbo made the call during a meeting in Dodoma with TASAF management to discuss strengthening cooperation between the government and development partners in supporting poor households. He stressed the need to learn from earlier programmes, strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems, and study approaches adopted elsewhere to identify methods most suitable for Tanzania.
Prof. Mkumbo directed that research and recommendations on the most appropriate institutional structure be completed by the end of 2026. The process will examine whether to establish a dedicated central institution or assign poverty reduction responsibilities to existing government bodies. The TASAF Executive Director, Shadrack Mziray, said the fund's programmes aim to help households increase income-generating activities, save money and invest to improve their economic circumstances. He described these efforts as part of a broader strategy to promote economic growth and reduce poverty across the country.
The World Bank Senior Economist and Representative, Claudia Zambra, said work was underway to improve how poor households are identified by considering the assets available to them. She noted that strengthening social protection systems, including the Social Protection Registry, would help identify households in need, ensure services and assistance reach them during disasters, and build household resilience. These improvements would also increase how much the programmes contribute to poverty reduction. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the President's Office for Planning and Investment, the National Planning Commission and TASAF management.
For savers and borrowers in Tanzania, stronger poverty reduction programmes and improved identification of vulnerable households could help broaden access to financial services and economic opportunities across the country.