Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (Tira) is moving to connect insurance companies to its electronic complaints system, a step expected to speed up dispute resolution and improve transparency for policyholders.
The e-complaints system was initially introduced to allow insurance consumers to lodge complaints with the regulator electronically instead of travelling to Tira offices or relying on paper-based submissions and email.
Tira director of Legal Services Ponziano Lukosi said the regulator was now working to integrate insurers into the platform because some complaints require information or action from insurance companies before they can be resolved.
“The system will reduce the time taken to handle complaints and also reduce costs,” Mr Lukosi said yesterday during a management tour of insurance companies.
He said linking insurers to the platform would allow complaints to move more efficiently between the regulator and companies, enabling consumers to receive responses faster and with greater accuracy. The system would also allow policyholders to track the progress of their complaints from submission to resolution, reducing the need for repeated visits or phone calls to establish their status.
“The customer can see directly through the system how the complaint is being handled and know what is happening,” he said.
Mr Lukosi also urged insurance companies to consider settling genuine disputes with customers before resorting to court proceedings, particularly where cases could be resolved through out-of-court settlements.
“If a case has merit, the company should sit down with the customer and settle it early,” he said.
He warned that prolonged litigation could increase costs through legal fees and other expenses, potentially affecting funds belonging to policyholders. Mr Lukosi said insurance disputes were required to follow established dispute-resolution procedures before being taken to court, but some consumers ended up in litigation because they were unaware of the mechanisms available to them.
The push to improve complaint handling comes as Tira seeks to position the insurance industry to contribute more to Tanzania's development agenda.
under Vision 2050.
Commissioner of Insurance Baghayo Saqware, who is touring insurance companies to discuss their contribution to the national development agenda, has challenged the industry to expand its reach and develop products that respond to emerging economic needs.
Dr Saqware said insurers needed to align their business strategies with Vision 2050 by expanding insurance coverage, investing in technology and reaching Tanzanians who remain outside the formal insurance market.
He urged companies to develop products targeting key sectors, including agriculture, mining and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
He also called for greater use of technology while strengthening measures against insurance fraud as digital services expand.
Dr Saqware said Tira would work with insurers to increase public awareness and help companies reach communities through its zonal offices and other Government structures.
He said the industry should take greater responsibility for educating the public about insurance instead of attributing low uptake solely to consumers.
“If there is a lack of public awareness, it is not necessarily because people do not want to know about insurance; it is because we have not done enough to educate them,” he said.
