Bank of Tanzania to introduce complaint system
What you need to know:
- The system is designed to reduce resolution times while improving the overall customer experience, marking a significant step toward financial inclusion and consumer empowerment.
Dar es Salaam. The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has unveiled plans to launch an automated financial consumer complaint desk in January 2025.
The initiative, in development since 2019, seeks to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in resolving consumer grievances, ensuring that bank users’ rights are upheld promptly.
The system is designed to reduce resolution times while improving the overall customer experience, marking a significant step toward financial inclusion and consumer empowerment.
A Business Analyst in the Directorate of Information Technology, Laura Mandari explained that the system would allow consumers to lodge complaints or appeal unresolved cases directly with BoT.
“This system enables the Financial Consumer Protection Department to respond to claims registered by the public,” Mandari stated. “It also tracks complaints, identifies reasons for delays, and ensures timely resolutions.” Mandari further elaborated on the procedure: that the system, she noted, empowers consumers by providing them with adequate, timely, and efficient redress mechanisms.
“When a consumer encounters an issue, they must first file a complaint with their service provider, who will issue a reference number. If unresolved, the consumer can escalate the matter to BoT using the same reference number.”
The Acting Manager of BoT’s Financial Consumer Protection, Dr Hadija Kishinba, highlighted the significance of the move.
“Starting mid-next month, individuals and companies will be able to lodge complaints and track their progress through a more accessible and user-friendly platform,” she said. Dr Kishinba explained that the current manual system, though functional, needed an upgrade to meet global standards for financial inclusion.
“We initiated the process in 2019 to transition from a manual desk to an automated one, ensuring quality and reliability,” she said, adding, “Globally, financial inclusion is measured by the accessibility of complaint desks, particularly when service providers fail to adhere to consumer protection laws.”
She emphasised that the automated system aligns with BoT’s mission of using technology to enhance service delivery.
“This platform ensures that financial inclusion is achieved in its entirety. It empowers consumers by providing a reliable mechanism to address their grievances when necessary,” she added.
The introduction of the automated financial consumer complaints desk is expected to set a new benchmark for customer service standards in Tanzania’s banking sector
