Tanzania is mulling to establish a special court to address matters related to insurance cases, ranging from fraud, cheating or misinterpretation of the laws and regulations guiding the sector.
That was among the issues that came up during the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU), Tanzania Annual Conference 2025 taking place in Arusha to address, among other things, rising cases of Insurance fraud.
Officially opening the conference the Zanzibar Minister of State, President Office in-charge of Finance and Planning, Dr Saada Mkuya, said specialising legal entities, such as dedicated insurance courts, will help clear the log in settling claims and complaints that are at the moment piling up everywhere.
Insurance Courts will divert indemnity, and surety matters from the traditional legal system for speedier execution.
“It has been realized that over 15 percent of all insurance claims in the world are steeped in fraud, costing governments and insurers big monetary losses amounting to billions,” said Minister Mkuya who was representing the President of Zanzibar, Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi.
The Zanzibari minister lauded the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA) and the International Association of Special Investigation Units for organizing the meeting which is focused on strengthening the shield against insurance fraud through collaborative strategies in Tanzania.
“I have been told that among the cases of insurance rackets include false claims, concealing important facts while applying for cover, conspiracy deals between insurers and the clients and the use of forged documents,” the Minister explained.
On his part, the commissioner of insurance, Dr Baghayo Saqware said the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority has already started taking steps towards curbing insurance fraud and related rackets in the country.
“We are working closely with other organs and sectors forming the insurance service chain, including the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Zanzibar Revenue Authority (ZRA), Magistrate Courts, Hospitals and the Land Transport regulatory Authority (LATRA), as well as international organizations,” said Dr Saqware.
During the conference in Arusha, delegates witnessed the launching of the Tanzania Chapter of The International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU), which will be the first such branch in Eastern Africa.
IASIU Tanzania Chapter launched
The President of IASIU, Mjabwa Hanzuruni said the Tanzania Chapter is an exemplary arm in Africa as far as working to ensure transparency on claims, settlements and addressing cases of fraud in the sector.
IASIU is a global organization dedicated to combating insurance fraud through education, training, and collaboration among professionals in the insurance industry, law enforcement, and regulatory bodies.
IASIU was recently established to address insurance fraud issues specific to Tanzanians and the chapter to this effect was unveiled during the Annual Conference held at PAPU Tower in Arusha.
IASIU Tanzania is collaborating with Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA) in the preparations of the conference which features keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities focused on strengthening strategies against insurance fraud in Tanzania.
This meeting has brought together various stakeholders, including government and private institutions, security agencies, and diverse stakeholders from the insurance and financial sectors as a whole.
Delegates are addressing the State and Landscape of Insurance Fraud in Tanzania and Africa – Current trends, emerging threats and challenges, The Role of Regulators in Combating Insurance Fraud, Fundamentals of Insurance Fraud Investigation and Unmasking Insurance Fraud in the Banking World.