Quality control agent stresses on the limitation of imports

TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) has said that, one way to protect local industries to fair in business with other partners in East Africa region is to introduce a policy which would limit and prevent the importation of substandard goods in the country. TBS Director of Quality Management, Dominic Mwakangale said recently in Dar es Salaam that, the move would give a little chance for the unscrupulous importers to think of ordering faked and counterfeit goods which have become a menace to local consumers in the country. Analyzing his point, he said that, the freedom which the government has given importers is what has brought such a problem in local market which currently is flooded with about 20 percent substandard goods in circulation at a local market. The TBS boss said when he had just presented his paper to industrialists during a one day symposium organized by Tanzania Confederation of Industries (CTI) under the theme titled, “The role of pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards (PVoC) in curbing counterfeit and substandard goods in Tanzania”. During his presentation, he hailed the government of Kenya (a member state of EAC region) for its efforts and strictness towards the importation of sub standard goods and has reduced the circulation of sub standard goods to a greater extent in their country. However, giving the available statistics within the East Africa region, he said and added that, Kenya has managed to control the illegal importation of goods by 75 percent, and added that, Tanzania has virtually done little compared to other EA states to help its industrialists. He noted that, there is a common language used by traders in local market when a buyer of an imported product goes to their shops to purchase commodities, who have a tendency of asking their customers if they could want genuine or sub standard goods which have been categorised in different prices. The introduction of Pre Shipment Verification of Conformity to Standard by TBS is one of the strategies the government is taking to deal with such goods, he said and named three International companies which have been assigned by TBS outside the country to ensure that, they do inspection of goods before allowing their importation into the country. The companies are Intertek, Bureau Veritas and SGS.

Quality experts from TBS inspecting samples of goods to verify their quality in a laboratory.

Meanwhile, the government has called for a joint collaborative effort among industrialists, traders and importers to help curb with the increased sale of the substandard goods which have to a certain extent has agreed to have flooded local market in the country. The call by the government has come after having realized failure by the responsible organs which has been given the task to control the situation, and seemingly their strengths have been overwhelmed with a move to curb the vice being practiced by the unscrupulous traders including importers of such goods. The Minister for Trade and Industries Dr. Abdalah Kigoda made the concern yesterday in Dar es Salaam when addressing industrialists as a guest of honour during the 20^th Annual General Meeting of the CTI organization. He named the Fair Competition Commission (FCC), TBS, the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TDFA), the Weight and Measures Agency (WMA) and other relevant government and private sector institutions including CTI, and argued to effectively ensure that the relevant laws and regulations that deal with counterfeit and sub-standard goods are enforced. However, he has also asked them to help reveal those who are in one way or another are directly involved in such malpractice. He said the presence of such goods has been tarnishing a good name of our country at a local market level, and more worse have been causing economic hazards to consumers and their safety which has to a greater extent reduced the production capacity of the local goods produced by local industrialists. “While the government is determined to eliminate the sale and manufacture of sub-standard and counterfeit goods in Tanzania, it cannot succeed on its own. I request all Tanzanians, traders, manufacturers and consumers to join forces with the Government to expose those who are involved in the trading of those goods” he said. However Dr. Kigoda has urged consumers not to encourage the existence of such goods through being cheated by low prices which are normally attached to sub-standard and counterfeit goods. “More importantly, I urge manufacturers and consumers to expose all those who deal in these goods so that the Government can take appropriate measures”. he affirmed.