The paper starts by examining the concept of social security in Tanzania, showing that there are three key issues in social security which have not been adequately addressed by existing social security schemes and need immediate attention. The paper then examines the nature and forms of social security in Tanzania in a historical perspective. It shows that non-conventional social security instruments have failed to promote equitable economic growth and have been heavily biased in favour of the well-off at the expense of the poor. The effectiveness of traditional and informal social security systems has been impaired by changes that have taken place since the colonial period. Formal social security schemes are riddled with problems. The development of formal social security has been gradual and the introduction of structural adjustment programmes has led to the decline of formal security schemes. In terms of coverage, formal social security schemes cover only 6% of the population and focus on only a few risks.
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