TAREA outlines features that identify counterfeit solar panels.

Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (TAREA) has outlined some basic distinguishing features which could direct buyers of solar panels be able to identify between genuine and substandard products whose supply in the local market is flooded with cheap imports. TAREA’s Executive Secretary Engineer Mathew Matimbwi said in Dar es Salaam over the weekend that many people in the country have been the victims of counterfeit panels as it is hard for them to distinguish fake ones from original ones. He noted that, most solar panels assortments sold in the country do not meet international standards and that is why suppliers of such products are reluctant to seek for certification from Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS). Elaborating about their physical characteristics Eng. Matimbwi disclosed that most panels displayed in markets at various shops all over the  country are marked with an ‘inscription to identify ‘Germany Technology’ while others marked ‘Cells from Germany’ but do not show the country of origin where they have been manufactured. “This is wrong as it is a kind of a business trick used to lure buyers into making them believe such products must have been manufactured in Germany whereas in the real sense is not”, he said adding that this is against the regulations governing local standards as required by TBS. He further clarified that other panels are indicated with the words that are not spelt correctly and are intentionally left to be printed on panels to confuse buyers. Such words he noted are ‘Desinged in Germany’ which is wrongly spelt from the real word which should have been written ‘Designed in Germany’. “These are some of the distinguishing features manufacturers of counterfeit solar panel products use purporting to have been acquired from Germany”, he said and added that even if such sellers are brought before the court of law are less to be convicted as such inscriptions is not a guarantee to prove that are products from Germany. Another physical characteristic that Eng. Matimbwi noted is where some solar panel do not have information about their technical data which are normally indicated at the back of a panel. 

Solar panels some of which are said to be substandard

The technical data entails various module types under which a panel is manufactured with and these are recognized by the International Standards Organization (ISO) and Commission of Electricity (CE). According to him, it is surprising to note that most solar panels which have flooded the local market do not have these features and to be able to recognize these, a panel sheet looks like having been manufactured with two different colours. Having known of all these discrepancies, sellers resort not to give guarantee time to potential buyers of such products for fear of their short lifespan, he said and urged buyers of such products to consult solar experts while going to shop so that they might buy genuine products. Two weeks ago TBS being a sole national certification body for genuine products in the country cautioned the general public against the presence of fake solar panels which have flooded the market,. and promised to launch a crackdown to net unscrupulous traders who engage in importing such products. TBS Public Relations Manager Roida Andusamile said that, a team of experts from TBS were dispatched out and did impromptu visits to businessmen in areas like Kariakoo, Keko and along Msimbazi business complex in Dar es Salaam and managed to net 17 samples of faked solar panels. In light of prevailing situation in some shops in the country, TBS acting Manager for Quality Assurance Ashura Katunzi has urged the public to purchase the electronic appliances and especially solar power gadgets only in certified and legally recognized outlets. She asserted that, most of the fake panels confiscated by the bureau come from China while others carried fake label of the respective countries such as Germany.

Education stakeholders doubts campaigners on free education

THE Tanzania Association of Managers and Owners of Non-Government Schools and Colleges (TAMONGSCO) have dismissed pledges by some politicians who campaigns they would introduce free education in the country once entered in power calling such claims as baseless. The call by the association has come at this time when campaigns for the general election is going on with politicians making numerous promises here and there seeking consents from people to vote for them. Speaking in an exclusive interview the Tamongsco’s Secretary General Benjamin Nkonya said that it is quite impossible for a poor country like Tanzania to educate its citizens freely from primary to university level, saying these are mere political propagandas which cannot be implemented. He said that the education sector is engulfed with a myriad of problems some of which the government has failed to cover. However, he queried from where they will get money to incur some of the outstanding debts the government owes teachers in various primary and secondary schools in the country. Other costs teachers still demand from the government includes allowances, salaries, and many others which the government has never fulfilled.  The association is of the view of the fact that teacher’s dues are inducements to make them work harder in order to cope with the prevailing economic hardships experienced by low income earners. To compound all these, however, he wonders as to how the government in power will manage as currently there are lots of problems facing teachers in education sector in the country. He said by having free education in the country the system will not at all bring about any changes in regard to the quality education in the country which private schools are providing now. Asked to comment if free education will affect private schools, he noted that, the system will not affect their businesses because people look for quality bearing the fact that spending money is not an issue, the main concern in this aspect is to receive something of the high quality.  Giving the statistics, he clarified that the cost of financing one student in public secondary school is about $ 2000 (Tshs. 4 million) per each student that includes stationeries, accommodation and food for boarding students. Castigating over the issue, a University don has said that, Tanzania is still faced with a myriad of problems with its education system resulting into poor quality whereby a great number of primary school pupils finish their primary education without actually knowing how to read and write. Professor Kitila Mkumbo of the University of Dar es Salaam clarified a point yesterday calling on campaigners to address such a standing problem and highlight on how they could solve it instead of promising free education for all an aspect that is not a solution to bring about quality education.

Professor Kitila Mkumbo of the University of Dar es Salaam.

He said in a telephone interview when contacted for comments to elaborate on the general trend of having a free education to see if it is really a solution to end poor quality of education in the country. In his response he noted that, the idea of having free education from Primary to Higher learning institutions level is good, but this is just a mere political saying which practically is not possible. Elaborating more he noted that politicians are campaigning for what is already in the new education policy that guarantee free education up to form four level. In this case, however Prof. Mkumbo has queried if there is enough resources that would be enough to enable the government conduct free education in the country up to higher learning institutions. “Politicians have been campaigning about education, but they should understand the fact that, there is no free education in the world”, he said and queried why they don’t want to speak the truth about the matter. He cited the developed states such as the Scandinavian and Nordic countries which he said have managed to provide free education for their citizens because of their long national economic strength and not something of joke. However, he further noted that the possibility of having free education depends on high level of the country’s economy which is determined by a growing population in the country. He also noted that, during the era of socialist government in the country the population was low and that is why some few citizens benefited in free education system that could not persist longer. Last week, the Interim Chairman of the Coalition of Defenders of People’s Constitution (UKAWA) James Mbatia outlined measures which the group will take in its move to provide free education as earlier campaigned by Chadema Presidential Candidate who represent the group Mr. Edward Lowassa. He said the coalition’s plan included slashing presidential foreign trips to 80 percent and other measures he noted would involve curbing tax evasion and improving efficiency at the country’s major harbours. Mbatia who doubles as NCCR-Mageuzi Chairman assured that the money was enough to build at least 200 vocational training colleges at the cost of SH. 20 million each.  The ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has always been assuring Tanzanians in the on-going campaigns that it would allow free education from the Primary level up to Secondary level in order to let everybody in the country attain basic education. The CCM’s party ideology publicity Secretary Nape Nnauye yesterday could not be able to clarify what measures his party would use when contacted in a telephone interview. But he insisted that, the CCM manifestos are intact to implement all that has been promised to be done.

Power blues continues to haunt business services in Dar

 Business activities and other office services have paralyzed in most parts of Dar es Salaam city suburbs due to erratic power supply which has overshadowed the nation since last week, the survey can establish Going on its second week now, the situation has come about following the switching off of a gas plant at Kinyerezi project I that produces electricity from Songo Songo gas project in Mtwara region. The gas plant had been switched off over a week ago by a sole National Power Utility Firm (TANESCO) in order to allow the test of a gas pipeline from Mtwara which has already reached its final destination point at Kinyerezi on the outskirts of the Dar es Salaam city. The Tanesco’s Managing Director Felchesm Mramba assured Tanzanians who for long have been anxiously waiting for the plant project to start operation to be patient as gas has already started to enter into a plant together with that one at Ubungo II . He noted that what Tanesco is currently doing is to do the test to connect main gas pipeline with that of Ubungo II and Symbion electricity plant to ensure an effective supply of the electricity which is to be produced at a designated plant project. The exercise that has caused power rationing for a 12 hour everyday was anticipated to end on Monday this week, but to the surprise of many it has been prolonged causing blackouts an aspect that is slowing down industrial production operations.  The trend has adversely affected operators’ incomes and offices which operate in mostly affected areas by power blues, have to halt their activities to a considerable length of time until the electricity power supply from the national grid comes back. The situation has caused   congestion of work load in some private and government offices whose activities are mostly driven by computer systems applications that help keep going their activities. In order to keep abreast with the normal daily productions, some big organizations, companies and some individual business enterprises resort to the use of mostly diesel machine generators or solar energy for power supply to keep their businesses going.  

A round survey by the Citizen newspaper at the city centre could witness sounds of standby generators which have been put outside in almost business entities which are strategically located along the street. The prevailing situation has caused charges for business services such as internet surfing and secretarial services such as printing costs and others to increase considerably. Internet café owners operating in some suburbs on the outskirts of the city of Dar es Salaam have said that, “they have to increase surfing charges to cater for the extra costs incurred through using generators during power blackouts. Mr. Thomas Kigu an attendant of the sun-rise internet café operating at Kijitonyama said in an interview with this paper that, they have to raise surfing charges due to high expenses they incur to run a machine for power generation emanating from the costs of oil. According to him, charges for surfing which normally stands at Tshs. 1,000/- has increased by 50 percent to Tshs. 1,500/- per hour. However, he added that, but when there is normal power supply from the national grid, the prices comes down to normal. Another business man Mr. Obadia Bulemo, a resident of Tegeta suburb in Kinondoni district is among the many petty traders whose business is adversely affected by power blues. He runs a secretarial bureau office which operates in a rented house but his principal business place is often inconvenienced by power rationing in the area during day time an aspect that results into a low profit levels at the end of the day. Apart from businessmen, office workers are also worried about the compelling problems which include poor telephone services on fixed landlines, says one office attendant of a clearing and forwarding agent whose company’s fixed telephones remains unworkable during power blackouts. A typical case study of the power blackout situation happened at a one family in Kipunguni “B” suburb in Ilala district when they had gathered in the evening at their sitting room watching a television broadcast interested in following up campaign rallies going on in various parts in the country, but suddenly power went off.

Distraught and anger reigned among them as their television stopped thereby disrupting a luxurious moment they had of watching the up-coming news bulletin.

UKAWA blasts government for incitement

Members of the political parties that form the Coalition of the Defenders of People’s Constitution (UKAWA) have raised their grave concern over what they described as incitement being propagated by the ruling party with the aim of destroying their campaigns. Speaking to journalists last week in Dar es Salaam, Ukawa’s interim Chairman James Mbatia has accused the ruling party for misusing the national television station and another electronic media such as the Star TV station for propagation to suppress the movements of Ukawa in their campaigns. He gave an example of the Star TV which airs the former video clips depicting the former Prime Minister Fredrick Sumaye who recently announced his quest to help the Ukawa group in their campaigns, saying that is one way to publicly ridiculing him. He noted that, the video clips are shown during the time the former Premier was a CCM cadre and compare with the current videos when he is no longer a member of the ruling party and noted that is not fair and insisted that, defecting from a party is something normal for a politician life. In view of this, however, he has blasted the government through the Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) for failure to take action an entity tasked to ensure the recently endorse cyber laws are taking effects against the offenders. Mbatia has also accused the Dar es Salaam city Mayor Dr. Didas Masaburi for what he described as an act of incitement when he (Masaburi) collected some few youths at Kinondoni district purporting to be followers of the former Chadema Secretary General Dr. Wibroad Slaa and commanded them tom riot. He said this is total incitement and warned the security forces and intelligence security to be aware of this that, a nation is now going astray as it would come to an extreme when the oppressed will riot in the same way as what had happened in Kenya after post election of 2007. 

Ukawa interim Chairman James Mbatia in difiant mood when talking to journalists in Dar es Salaam about how the ruling party is jeopardizing the Ukawa campaign movements.

He said the two incidents together with others have really tarnished the good name of the Ukawa group which seems to have become a great threat to the ruling party especially at this time when campaigns have come to a high pick point countrywide. He has however warned the ruling party to desist from doing any movements as these are likely to cause mass clandestine in future as such incitements would not be tolerated by people the majority of whom wants political changes to occur in the country. He gave an example of the past such like incidents of the related incitements which occurred way back in 2000 during the second multipartism general election when the ruling parties beard false evidences against the Civic United Front (CUF) when it had accused the party to have supplied a container full of machetes and sharpened weapons. Other incitements he has mentioned is where unfairness has began to be seen in campaigns whereby he blasted the government for having taken to task Godless Lema for interrogation where they claimed to have exceeded six minutes on a podium while addressing a rally, and questioned the rationale of the ruling party which exceeded half an hour during the inauguration of their campaigns at Jangwani grounds. Another incitement he noted is when the billboard carrying a portrait of the presidential flag bearer for Ukawa Edward Lowassa was pulled down at Kariakoo area and when the group members enquired for reasons were notified that it was ordered from the top government officials. In Iringa he said that, Ukawa’s supporters had been arrested by the police on claims that had in possession of the placards bearing the portrait of their presidential contender and are under the police interrogation, an aspect that shows incitements. He noted that, they have reported the matter to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) who has advised them to file claims.

Construction of terminal III at JNIA nears completion

The construction pace of the on-going multibillion third passengers’ complex terminal at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) in Dar es Salaam has reached at an average rate of 90 percent, it has been learnt. The Director of the Project Engineer Mohammed Millanga said early this week in Dar es Salaam that, the first phase building which is expected to accommodate 3.5 million passengers in a year is expected to end up on June 2016 (next year). Engineer Millanga made the clarification during the visit of the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport Dr. Shabaan Mwinjaka who visited the site on Tuesday last week which is located at former Kipawa suburban on the outskirts of the city to see for himself how the construction is progressing. He said the second phase of the construction project whose foundation building is not yet laid down will start immediately on the completion of the first one and is expected to end a year later up to June 2017 respectively. The latter building will accommodate 2.5 passengers in a year. Engineer Millanga clarified that the project which will cost a whooping Euro 235 million (Sh. 518 billion is partly funded by the government in collaboration with BAM International of Netherlands, and a consultant from Arab Consulting Engineers of Egypt. 

The Director General of the Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA) Mr. Sulleiman Sulleiman explaining a point to journalists during their visit at the ongoing construction of the terminal 3 building in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday last week..

Elaborating more about the extent rate to which the construction has picked up on specific areas, Eng. Millanga said that, iron fixing is complete by 90 percent, the availability of wall bricks are by 80 percent, roofing is complete by 60 percent, and installation of toilet facilities in various rooms is complete by 25 percent. Other areas of construction which are completed in halfway are water sewerage systems is complete by 80 percent, electricity wiring and ducts is completed by 30 percent, construction of car parking arcade is completed by 75 percent, while Apron, Taxiway, Access road and Parking for plane lots are complete by 30 percent. Despite of progress made so far, Eng. Millanga noted that the project is faced with lots of challenges that includes lack of money to keep going the project especially the construction of underground fuel tanks whereby they are currently looking for the strategic investor to accomplish the work. In response, the Permanent Secretary Dr. Mwinjaka made a promise on behalf of the government to disburse funds to enable complete the first phase of the project at a stated time frame. Describing the suitability of the project on its completion, the Director General of the Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA) Suleiman .S. Suleiman said that, it will have the status just like other international airports in the world such as that one of Heathrow in UK, and the one in Dubai. He said planes which are being served in those airports will be coming here as there will be all the facilities needed and other infrastructure available like in those airports. He further noted that, there will be a special train to be introduced by the government to ferry passengers while entering and going out of the airport and take them to various places in the city of Dar es Salaam. He said adding that, this will be constructed later as its plans are underway. Responding over the issue, the Permanent Secretary Dr. Mwinjaka confirmed that, the government is expected to undergo a feasibility study to establish the cost of the train and noted that the government is expected to spend about Sh. 2.9 billion to accomplish the work. He said the train will serve about 6 million passengers in a year and its operation will be under the private sector and will use special Ashok Leyland engines. The routes through which the train will pass are Dar-Mwakanga up to Pugu through Airport. Other designated routes for the train would be from Dar city centre -Ubungo-Kibaha, another one from Dar-Mwenge-Bunju, Dar-Mivinjeni-Mkuranga in Coast region.  Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) was established on 29th November 1999 vide Government Notice Number 404 of 1999 under the Executive Agency Act Number 30 of 1997.  The Authority assumed the functions of the former Directorate of Aerodromes under the Ministry of Communications and Transport currently the Ministry of Transport. The establishment of the Agency is part of the Government efforts in changing the public service structure which is geared towards improving service delivery