Determining the Level of Economic Efficacy of Mandatory and Supplementary Schemes in the Post-retirement Period

Abstract

Purpose: This paper presents the investigation on the level of economic efficacy due to mandatory and supplementary schemes in the post-retirement period among National Social Security Fund (NSSF) beneficiaries taking Morogoro as a case for study. The main argument is that once the reasonable level of economic efficacy is achieved it is likely to decrease the direct national economic losses relative to global gross domestic product.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Purposive sampling technique was used to select 100 respondents under the condition that they should be NSSF retired beneficiaries. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data which enabled researchers to generate frequencies and percentages under the objectives of the study. The level of economic efficacy was measured through Economic Efficacy Summated Index (EESI).

Findings: Findings revealed that the economic efficacy level due to NSSF services to the retired population was at a moderate level. This was pre-determined by lack of significant association between background characteristics of respondents and a monthly income as well as low extent under which NSSF serve its clients at the time of disbursing terminal benefits.

Research Limitation/Implications: The study’s target population was retired officials who some of them were not found in Morogoro region. This forced a researcher to use telephone interviews which have many shortfalls in social science research.

Practical Implication: The knowledge generated from this study will inform Social Security employees on empowering more Tanzanian workers so that the benefits they give them may positively contribute to decreasing the direct national economic losses relative to global gross domestic product.

Social Implication: The knowledge generated from this study will inform economic policymakers on empowering more Social Security Funds so that they may positively contribute to decreasing the direct national economic losses relative to global gross domestic product.

Originality/Value: The originality of this paper is backed up by the life Life Cycle Model (LCM) which assumes that NSSF beneficiaries were expected to execute to stages in their economic behaviour. One stage is the accumulation stage at the time they were young and energetic while the second stage being the spending stage depending on one’s serving/accumulation. Thus, these two stages are the ones that differentiate one level of economic efficacy and the other.