Abstract:
The Government of Tanzania introduced PSSN that provides Cash Transfer (CT) to poor
and vulnerable groups so as to improve their living standards while generating
sustainable improvement on human capital, health, and food consumption. Evidence
from literature has demonstrated that people have different views on CT, therefore the
researcher intended to explore stakeholders‟ perception on CT in Rorya district. The
specific objectives were:- To explore the perceptions of CT beneficiaries, implementers
and non-beneficiaries on the CT programme, To examine the contribution of CT on
improving living standard of the community and To examine the effectiveness of
procedures used in selecting household beneficiaries of CT.
The study applied a case study design and simple random, convenient as well as
purposive sampling in drawing a sample of 130 respondents. Moreover, interview, FGD
and observation method were used to obtain information from the respondents.
The study revealed that perception varies according to the categories of respondents;
positive perception were highly found in beneficiaries and implementers side while
negative perception was most found on non-beneficiaries side. The study further
revealed that CT has brought direct impact on food consumption, HIV treatment, and
gender empowerment and taking children under age to clinics. Indirect impact was seen
in human capital development. Furthermore, the study revealed that the process of
selecting household beneficiaries was hampered by poor community participation in
Village assembly and other problems such as biasness and incompetence of CMC.
Finally it is concluded that, although the programme failed to address all the problems
that poor people are facing but the unconditional cash transfer has brought significant
impact on food consumption while the conditionality promoted human capital
development. Then after it is recommended that the Government should conduct
inflation analysis to make sure the supply of CT meets food price and there should be
food and drug transfer to elder beneficiaries. The selection process should involve the
broader community so as to reduce selection errors
