The Complaints Resolution Desk (the Desk) has been established by the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) as a cost effective and efficient mechanism to resolve com-plaints between banking institutions and their customers. The Desk, which is fully funded by the Bank, is in-tended to resolve complaints (small claims) whose monetary value in respect of both the claim amount and remedy awarded does not exceed fifteen million Tanzania shillings (15,000,000) Mn.

When you are dissatisfied with our services or you have any complaint pertaining to our staff or bank or otherwise, you may lodge complaint to us in writing by post or fax or through your registered email address on the following contact addresses.

We through our internal complaint handling mechanism shall resolve your complaints within 21 working days from the date of lodging the compliant. The Internal Complaint handling mechanism in our Bank is as under:

• Receiving and timely processing consumers’ complaints.
• Keeping complainants updated throughout the process.
• Keeping a record of all complaints and submit it to the Bank of Tanzania on quarterly basis.
• Resolving all consumer complaints within 21 working days from the date of lodging the complaint.
• In exceptional circumstances if we are unable to resolve the complaint within 21 working days, we will immediately inform the complainant of our inability and reason for the inability and what measures are being taken to resolve the matter urgently and in any case not more than 14 working days thereafter.

If you are dissatisfied with the decision of our bank in respect of your compliant or do not receive a response from our Bank within 21 working days from the date of lodging your complaint, you may within 14 working days lodge your complaint with the Desk at BOT. However, before lodging your complaint with the Desk at BOT, you are required to exhaust the Internal Complaints resolution mechanism of our Bank first.

The compliant with Complaints Resolution Desk at Bank of Tanzania shall be lodged in the prescribed form (Schedule A), duly signed by the complainant and shall be submitted in any of the
following ways:

• By hand or by post to:
  Complaint Resolution Desk
  Office of the Secretary to the Bank of Tanzania,
  10 Mirambo Street,
  11884, Dar es Salaam.
• By electronic mail: complaints-desk@bot.go.tz
• By facsimile to fax no: +255 22 2234067
• By phone: +255 22 2233265/ +255 22 2233246

Note:

1. Complaints shall be lodged with the Desk from 9.00 AM to 12.30 Pm (Monday to Friday).

2. Your complaint must be lodged before expiry of two years after the cause of action arose.

The desk shall handle complaints whose total monetary value in respect of both the claim amount and remedy to be awarded does not exceed Fifteen Million Tanzania Shillings (TZS 15,000,000/-).

Only the following categories of complaints are eligible for submission to the Desk;

• A complaint against a banking institution which is either a member of the Tanzania Bankers Association or regulated by the Bank.
• A complaint which is lodged within 14 days after a banking institution has delivered its decision or has failed to respond.
• A complaint in respect of an incident which occurred less than two (2) years ago.

In terms of the Guidelines issued , the Desk considers the following complaints as ineligible:

• A complaint which has been the subject of legal proceedings before a Court or Tribunal.
• Where the complainant has not suffered any financial loss, material inconvenience or distress.
• A complaint which would be more suitably dealt with by a Court or under other dispute resolution arrangement.
• A complaint whose resolution would prejudice the rights of other parties who have not consented to the resolution by the Desk.
• A complaint which is vexatious or frivolous or not in good faith.
• A complaint which was not first reported to the banking institution concerned.
• A complaint which is lodged more than 14 days after a banking institution has delivered its decision or failed to resolve the complaint.
• A complaint which is beyond the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Desk.

• Your name and address.
• The name and address of the banking institution against which the complaint is made.
• Details of what your complaint is about including exactly what the bank did that it shouldn’t have done or what it didn’t do that it should have done.
• What you have lost in terms of personal injustice, financial loss, hardship or inconvenience.
• What you would like the Desk to do to put things right and details of what you have done so far to try to resolve the complaint
• Include documentary evidence, if any.

A complainant may, at any time before the Desk’s determination, withdrawal his complaint in writing from the Desk, and the matter shall be closed by the Desk.

Resolution of banking consumers’ complaints is free of charge asthe Desk does not charge any fee whatsoever.

The medium of communication is both English and Kiswahili.

The function performed by the Desk is different from that performed by courts. The Desk is enjoined not to have regard to technicality and legal form but resolve complaints using criteria that would not usually be used by courts; for instance whether an explanation for the conduct was not given when it should have been given. A banking institution may be required to issue an apology, change its practices, effect payment or compensation as the case may be. The Desk is not bound by the legal principles of handling complaints such as rules of evidence but adheres to the general principles of natural justice.

WHEN AGGRIEVED BY DESK DECISION

Either party may request the Desk to reconsider any of its decision. Each party also has a right to seek redress before a competent court when it is not satisfied with the decision given by the Desk.