Tanzania Issues New Regulations for Islamic Banking Operations

The Bank of Tanzania BOT) issued the Banking and Financial Institutions (Non-Interest Banking Business) Regulations, 2025 on 19 December 2025.

The new regulations introduce a formal regulatory framework governing Islamic banking activities, including fully fledged Islamic banks and Islamic banking windows operated by conventional banks in Tanzania.

The Regulations establish the legal basis for Shari’ah-compliant banking in Tanzania and apply to all non-interest banks, non-interest financial institutions, and conventional banks offering Islamic banking products through dedicated non-interest banking windows.

They require any entity intending to conduct Islamic banking business to comply with the Banking and Financial Institutions (Licensing) Regulations and to demonstrate that all products, transactions, and operational arrangements are fully compliant with Shari’ah principles.

Applicants are required to provide detailed information on how funds will be mobilised, how the business will expand, and what technical expertise, governance structures, and systems are in place to ensure continuous Shari’ah compliance.

Conventional banks seeking to launch Islamic banking windows must obtain prior written approval from BOT and submit a feasibility study covering the proposed Shari’ah-compliant products, governance arrangements, accounting policies, staffing, separation of funds from interest-based activities, and the suitability of core banking systems for Islamic finance operations.

Beyond licensing, the Regulations impose operational requirements on conventional banks offering Islamic banking services.

These include the mandatory establishment of a dedicated non-interest banking unit at head office level, responsible for developing policies, coordinating Shari’ah advisory functions, ensuring compliance with regulatory directives, and overseeing the Shari’ah-compliant investment of customer funds.

The Regulations also require complete segregation of accounts, records, and funds between conventional banking activities and Islamic banking operations, while any closure or discontinuation of an Islamic banking window is subject to approval by the Bank of Tanzania.

Governance obligations place primary responsibility on the board of directors to ensure that Islamic banking activities comply with Shari’ah.

Boards are required to adopt internal control mechanisms, implement risk management frameworks tailored to the specific risks of Islamic finance, and safeguard the independence of the Shari’ah Advisory Committee.

Each institution conducting Islamic banking business must establish a Shari’ah Advisory Committee to advise the board on Shari’ah matters, review and approve products, assess Shari’ah audit findings, oversee the handling of non-permissible income, and submit quarterly reports to the board.

The board must periodically evaluate the composition, suitability, and performance of the Committee and submit an annual assessment report to the Bank of Tanzania.

With respect to financing activities, the Regulations allow Islamic banks and Islamic banking windows to engage in Shari’ah-compliant financing structures, including asset-backed transactions and risk-sharing arrangements.

Institutions are required to maintain accurate records for profit-sharing investment accounts and to set aside reserve accounts to absorb potential losses arising from projects financed under profit-sharing arrangements.

They must also provide clear and timely disclosures to investment account holders regarding profit distribution and reserve balances.

The Regulations further provide detailed rules on the treatment of non-permissible income.

Such income must not be recognised as part of the institution’s earnings and must be kept in a separate account.

Its disposal is tightly controlled and may only be carried out through donations to eligible individuals or registered charitable organisations, subject to due diligence, internal audit review, and oversight by the Shari’ah Advisory Committee.

The Regulations explicitly prohibit treating the disposal of non-permissible income as part of corporate social responsibility activities.

In addition, the Regulations introduce enhanced accounting, reporting, and disclosure requirements for Islamic banking operations.

These include disclosure of any Shari’ah non-compliance events, the methodologies used to calculate distributable profits, and the balances held in profit equalisation and investment risk reserve accounts.

Institutions conducting Islamic banking business are also required to submit periodic reports on their non-interest banking activities to BOT.