CCM party to ward off bureaucracy that retards the development of SMEs

IN mid of November this year, the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) held elections of its leaders from the district to National Executive level who would lead the party to another five coming years. After the election, the party outlined various resolutions it had put forward during its 8th general meeting which was held at Kizota hall on the outskirts of Dodoma town, a prospective Tanzania’s capital city. Among the most important recommendations put forward, the ruling party has directed the government to give priority to entrepreneurs and also to ensure that it removes all sorts of bureaucracy among the executives of the financial institutions against money lenders. The party has also directed financial institutions and money lenders in the country to limit down some of their tougher conditions which they have imposed to their money lenders so as to allow entrepreneurs and individuals as a whole to take loans of affordable interest rates with ease. Announcing the new basic concepts of the party’s stance, the newly appointed CCM secretary general, Abdulrahaman Kinana said that, CCM has reiterated its commitments to help Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) which offers self employment to about 80 percent of Tanzanians. CCM’s concept has come amid statistics which shows that the current inflation in the country stands at 19.2 percent from 12 percent it had been seven years ago when the fourth phase government of President Dr. Jakaya Kikwete came into being in 2005. The CCM’s development concept aims at empowering SMEs and the move prompts national strategy on poverty reduction drive whose aim is to seek better life for Tanzanians before its goal has to be realized by 2015. But despite of the efforts shown by the government, interviewed loan seekers say that bureaucracy is still existing in some micro-finance institutions which are involved in the provision of loan facilities to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) including banks which are operating in the country.


They say the developing habit has been the main stumbling block for the development of their SMEs in the country. The situation has discouraged most loan seekers who sometimes are asked to introduce bribes (the so-called kitu kidogo) before the service is rendered to them whenever they apply for loan facilities from these institutions. Some loan seekers when interviewed early this week in Dar es Salaam said that, the low capital which they have is not enough to run their business activities and instead resort to depend on loans from various financial institutions to help them run their businesses but to in vain. Expressing their emotions over the issue, some disappointed entrepreneurs said that they have been met with lots of challenges accompanied by tough conditions an aspect that most working groups have failed to meet them. “Postponements of unfulfilled appointments are the order of the day” says Rhoda Kilasa who has been making frequent visits in follow up for her loan application she had applied two months ago from one of the well-known financial institution (name withheld) located in Dar es Salaam, but to no avail. Ezekiel Kilambo (42) a resident of Ukonga-Madafu who was in need of a medium loan to increase his working capital from one of the famous micro-finance institution in the city (name withheld), is discouraged when he failed to get financial support due to tough conditions imposed by loan officers. However, in desperation, he says that, there was no need of establishing such institutions which do not fulfill their appointments to help the needy people as required. Mr. Kilambo is on the view of the fact that, the long process of obtaining loans is too cumbersome and time consuming without success an aspect that most loan seekers gets discouraged. According to him, loan officers have been using a loophole without shame of soliciting for bribes whenever contacted by their customers at their working places. Apart from bureaucracy, banks have to be blamed for stiffer conditions say Marcelina Adoyo. According to her, Banks have been giving stringent conditions in order to get loan facility to the extent that some groups fail to meet them. However, she said that, although many banks have been providing loans especially to women groups, but they have imposed tough conditions which require loan seekers to own things like immovable properties such as a house as collateral, a thing that most of them cannot afford. Cornered by this writer, one lady by name of Lucia Wambura (38) who conducts a shop business selling both human and animal drugs at Kipunguni ‘A’ suburb in Ilala district, Dar es Salaam region, had long been in need of a loan from a renowned micro-finance institution, but she is yet to receive such loan owing to conditions imposed by the firm that she can’t meet. According to her, in order to fulfill one condition, she was told by loan officers to bring a contract she had had entered with the landlord in a house in which she conducts her business. As if that was not enough, she was also told to show alongside the annual property tax receipt if paid to Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), she dropped the order upon failure to meet all these. When contacted for comments, the head of the loan section of the National Micro-Finance Bank operating in the city who spoke on strict condition of anonymity said that, most loan seekers are not trustworthy an aspect that ought them (as bank) to investigate their customers’ businesses to establish their existence. However, one loan officer from one famous and long serving Micro-finance institution known as Promotion of Rural Institution and Development Enterprises Ltd, in short ‘PRIDE (T) Ltd’ Rehema Boniface said that, the issue of bureaucracy is personal and has nothing to do with his firm’s operations. PRIDE (T) Ltd has been a liberator of most women groups in the country, and in view of this, the institution takes long time to verify the authenticity of the documentation produced by their customers who needs personal loans as collaterals for proof as some documents presented by their customers are not genuine. However, she added that, they have to check them thoroughly according to procedures any documents presented to them by their customers so as to ascertain any irregularities and or suspicion that might have been noticed before decisions to accept them is made. However, she said adding that, the exercise takes about one month or two including a visit to a principal place of business. Customers might take it as an easier task and that’s why it takes long process to complete. The essence of doing this is to verify the truth before the actual money is issued as loans to would be applicants, he said adding that many of their customers’ presented documents have sometimes been found not to conform to their original ones, therefore a need for more time scrutiny is essential. According to one economic analyst, Rebeca Mdoe “lack of enough capital has been a stumbling block to most newly formed business enterprises in the country which have failed to develop for lack of bigger capital. Some of these have ceased operations for failure to meet their business targets mainly due to low capital investments”. In a bid to keep customers’ credit information database into a single databank system, the Bank of Tanzania (BOT) which is the main financial regulator in the country launched a Credit Reference System (CRS) in the country two months ago. The CRS system is designed to collect and provide information on the payment record of all clients of the lending banks and other financial institutions as well as those of Savings and Credit schemes in the United Republic of Tanzania and other entities engaged regularly in the extension of credit. The BOT’s Director of Banking Supervision, Agapiti Kobelo said during the launching that, “the establishment of CRS is a continuation of government’s efforts to reform the financial sector with the enactment of the banking and financial institution’s Act which started way back in 1991”.

WILDAF official tells men to expose their sufferings

AS the 16 days of the National gender activism campaign against violence and human rights is going on, an organization which stands for women in law and development in Africa (WILDAF) has urged men in the country to expose any acts of violence being committed against them by their spouses. An official with the WILDAF Tanzania chapter expressed the concern recently in Dar es Salaam in a move to favour men who are subjected to various forms of violence and made it clear that, the campaign is not only for women but also for men. Speaking in an exclusive interview WILDAF Director in Tanzania Dr. Judith Odunga said that, his office has done a research and found out that, there are some acts of gender violence being committed to men by their wives who in turn are afraid to expose such mischief before the society. “Although there is increased human right violations to women which is seen at a higher rate percentage in Africa, men are also subjected to a certain extent with the humiliations caused by their spouses, but are unable to speak out such sufferings” she said adding that, it’s high time for men also to liberate themselves and be free from gender violence. Dr. Judith who is currently a national coordinator of the campaign which ends on Monday countrywide has urged men not to shy and instead they should also join forces in support of the campaign by revealing out what makes them feels unhappy once mistreated in whatever ways by their wives. However, she has urged them to join forces to oppose this malpractice, and explained her emotions urging them to emulate their fellow Kenyans who have gone to the extent of forming an association that stand for their rights. Apart from men, Dr. Judith has also thrown a challenge to the government urging its machineries such as police and the judiciary to put more emphasis in its fight against gender violence especially to women whereby the malpractice is growing at an alarming rate in the country. She has also urged that, to make a good success if not to reduce a malpractice, she has asked the government to introduce educational curriculum in the national teaching syllabuses which will put an awareness to school children starting in primary level understand the impact of the issue in debate about their rights and gender activism in society. The campaign on gender activism which started early this week ends on 10^th next month, and carries a message that opens people’s mind to oppose violence against women and comprehensively insists for a joint accountability, which has seen with a wide spectrum groups of people still practices acts of violation against women. According to WILADF acts of gender violence have been increasing to a greater extent and statistics carried by the organization in newspaper shows that in 2012 alone there were 6,001 cases of violence which were re[ported in newspapers compared to 3,542 cases reported in 2011. This is an increase of 90 percent. The outcome of the research carried by the National Statistics Bureau (NSB) in 2010 shows that, gender violence has been committed in various ways such as beatings, female circumcision, raping, women killings, killings of people with albinism, women inheritance, violence at homes and many others. According to Dr. Judith, the victims suffers the great and have their physical bodies deteriorated due to this mistreatments and moreover others are more psychologically affected an aspect that the situation undermines their economic well being together with the nation as well. Analyzing the impact of it she noted that, it inwardly causes stress and a victim overcome permanent disability and sometimes leads to death. Despite of this, she is optimistic that a society might be applying positive changes that cold avert such kinds of attitude to dominate people’s mindset. The essence of the 16 day gender activism program came into being after the killings of the 16 women who were killed in Dominica in 1960. As from November 25^th 1991, the United Nations adopted the day and commemorated it as a special world day to be honoured as a day to commemorate women violence. The day will be climaxed on 10^th December this year as the International day of the special declaration of human rights and also to insist that, the day is a sign of relating violence against women and insisting that it is a violation of human rights.

Tibaijuka launches Land law book in Dar

THE Government has pledged to work on people’s views to be considered for inclusion in a new national constitution in order to ward off the existing problem of illegal land ownership among the individuals and civil societies which has been prevailing in many parts in the country. The Minister for Lands and Human Settlements Development Professor Anna Tibaijuka made the concern on Wednesday this week as a guest of honour during the launching of a land law book titled, “Land as a human right”. She said that people’s views and their decision over the issue of legality of land acquisition is an important aspect at this time around when Tanzania is going through the constitutional making process, and added that, it’s the only way to cut off attitudes of some corrupt government executives. Describing about the book, she noted that, the contents highlighted are relevant and helpful and consented that her ministry would be a prime custodian as they relevantly interacts with the legal matters pertaining to the development of land policies in the country.  The 412 paged book has been written by a young academician Abdon Rwegasira who joined the school of Law of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) as an assistant lecturer in 2010. She said the author has described the entire background history of land law and its practice in Tanzania since independence time. She said that, in order to spread the land law knowledge which most Tanzanians do not have in the country, her ministry has ordered 150 copies of the book from a Dar es Salaam based publishers, Mkuki na Nyota Publications Ltd which she said would be distributed in all districts in the country. The reasons behind the move as described by Professor Tibaijuka, a former UN Habitat Director and a former senior lecturer at the UDSM, is to enlighten the district land officers in the country in their job execution when analyising issues of land acquisition in general. However, she added that the move behind is to limit controversies on land issues in some parts of the country.  She further said that, the continued problems of land ownership in the country is as a result of some few executives from the village levels to district levels who do not know the application of land Act sections  4 and 5 as stipulated in Village Land Act of 1999. She said as a result of poor performance emanating from the relevant authorities, her office has been receiving about 300 grievances from people complaining about land cases channeled through the ministry’s email address requesting for her intervention as most people are unable to see her personally. “The issue of land use and control has never been an easy matter under the administration of my Ministry and the government in general” she said adding that, the government still see thousands of her people living in slums without security of tenure both in rural and in urban areas. However, she noted that, as long as the government continues to record controversial land cases and the allocations of prime areas including open spaces, it also continues to face case of land conflicts between farmers and livestock keepers in various parts of the country and many other similar cases. Detailing author’s views, she said he has described land to be an important resource for the country’s economic development on the one hand, but also an essential need of all human beings and major source of livelihood. In other words the author is on the view of the fact that, it’s through land that the state is well placed to advance sustainable national economic development. According to Rwegasira, the two categories of interests such like state and private, have not been reconciled by law or its proper administration and in view of this, land has ceased to be an important resource but an arena of struggles and conflicts of every description between the contending forces across all ages. According to the Dean of the school of law, Professor B.I.Rutinwa, Land law has always been a subject of great difficulty mainly because of scarcity of literature based on contemporary land law and practice in Tanzania. This is both challenge and an inspiration to all junior and senior lecturers.

JK tells manufacturers to add value on their products

PRESIDENT Jakaya Kiwete on Thursday night directed industrial product manufacturers in the country to add value on their products so as to achieve an international accreditation which would enable them to lead in global business competition. He made the concern at the award giving ceremony that recognized best local manufacturers of the year 2012 from 17 selected economic sub sectors that were presented with certificates and trophies at the occasion which was organized by the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) through its President’s Manufacturer of the Year Award (PMYA) that took place at Serena Hotel in Dar es Salaam. In this year’s award, the organizers announced the Tanzania Distilleries Limited the overall winner, other winners from three contesting categories grouped in small, medium and large categories were Prestige industries Ltd (small industries), DPI Simba Ltd (medium industries) and Kioo Limited (large industries).  The occasion which was fully sponsored by the IPP Limited is the eighth running annual event which was established in 2005 by CTI with the aim of recognizing and appreciating the manufacturing sector’s important role in Tanzania’s economic development process. In appreciation, the organizers awarded the IPP Limited Chairman, Dr. Reginald Mengi with an appreciation plague for the sponsorship of the event, who after the presidenbt’s speech, he thanked him with assurance that, through action they are able to perform. This is because the industrial sector with its strong backward and forward linkages has the unique capacity to provide activities with high value addition, wealth creation and employment creation that are key to economic growth and poverty reduction. The occasion also enables key stakeholders to share experiences on matters related to their daily activities. In the occasion, the President threw the challenge to manufacturers shortly after he had received claims from industrialists in a speech which was preceded by the Chairman of the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) Felix Mosha who requested the government to look at the means on how they could improve their industrial productions to higher standards. In reply, the President reaffirmed them that, his government depends on their innovations and creativity in order to achieve the utmost standards of their product manufacturing processes despite of the challenges facing the industrialists such as the continued erratic power supply in the country. The President assured them that, this would come to an end when the gas pipeline project currently in construction at the main station at Kinyerezi from Mtwara starts operation. He noted that, the government recognizes the importance of industries and manufacturers as is the most crucial sector which has the largest revenue contribution to the government treasury, and added that, it’s imperative therefore to give the sector the priority it deserves for being a driving engine of the national economic development growth. “The industrial revolution and their production in the country depend entirely on your own decision as members of this confederation” the President said urging them to make a strategic plan for a certain period to work through to achieve the targets. However, he insisted that trade competition is inevitable by any means whatsoever, so what is needed at this juncture is to cope with the emerging trend in terms of technology in order to ward off all obstacles lying ahead and by doing so would pave the way for success. “I urge you to add value on your products to become the leading producers with best quality, and if possible should you put a roadmap on how to go about it”, he said assured them that under that spirit the country would change industrially within ten years to come. The President also assured them that, the government is currently working on the problem of the basic infrastructures such as railway for transport, and is also working on the availability of water supply to ensure adequate electricity supply as currently the power generation largely depends on hydro power energy.

Change national educational curriculum into life skills, urges the don

DURING the era of socialism in the first phase government, primary school leavers were proud after having been selected to join secondary school education in the country, and for those who missed the opportunity resort to seek for the admissions in private secondary schools which were few by then. The concept means that during that time, government schools were valued to the utmost standards in terms of the provision of better quality education and other things than private schools as related in the general educational curriculum of both ordinary and advanced secondary school. Unlike before, today after 50 years of independence, the trend has changed as most parents prefers to send their children to privately owned secondary schools if need be, depending on the availability of money and economic and financial position that determines their capability. As the educational system in Tanzania is changing as years goes by, most parents whose children prepares to undertake early secondary education prefers mostly to take them to privately owned schools rather than public ones even if are selected  to go there with ambition that would get quality education. Recent educational research activities have shown that, there is neglect on students once selected to pursue their secondary education in government secondary schools, and instead students whose parents are economically and financially able tend to send their children to private schools. Research has discovered that students whose parents are poor and not able enough to afford high school fees charged by private secondary schools prefers to remain in public schools mainly due to their low economic resource power as they are not able to afford such a high educational expenses. Reasons why parents who are well economically prefers to have their children enrolled in private schools in the country is well stated with evidences which shows that the private educational sector in the country has advanced due to investments since early 1990s after economic liberation. Before 1985, the government was the major operator but after the economic liberation, the public and members of the community have to support education by contributing in one way or another in order to make schools operate and equip with modern educational learning materials. The individual contribution to educational system in the country began to slow down the pace of public schools’ development which largely depends on the availability of government funds in order to cater for essential educational needs. Essentially, as the number of primary school leavers increases in the country year after year, the demand for secondary schools and other facilities such as electricity, water, amenities and other educational needs also increases in public schools. Narrating the trend of education and the possible consequences that resulted into poor education in the country, an educational expert and a senior lecturer from the School of Education of the University of Dar es Salaam Professor Akundaeli Mbise said early this week in Dar es Salaam that, “unless the national educational curriculum is changed otherwise Tanzania will continue to lag behind in terms of education”. Speaking in an exclusive interview Professor Mbise said that, the government needs to look for the teachers’ training curriculum that promotes innovation and creativity that makes teachers become innovators rather than people who transfer knowledge. The basic idea in this concept is that, Prof. Mbise is on the view of the fact that, there should be a building curriculum that is full of entrepreneurship life skills if applied would help students outside the school, or prepares them for self employment and meet other challenges of the 21^st century. Narrating the downtrend of the educational system in the country, Prof. Mbise categorized the reasons in three major factors which he said are the major cause of underdevelopment and urged the government to take appropriate measures in order to remedy the escalating situation to save the future generation Remuneration and teachers’ motivation in public schools has been a subject of debate in education sector and this is a prime cause of poor education in the country. “Teachers are the most resources, but are demoralized when are not paid well, there is a likelihood of getting poor education quality” he said. The learning resources such as books and in modern life styles computers plays the part, poor dilapidated classrooms, lack of essential working facilities, inadequate water supplies, poor electricity supplies in urban centers coupled by high costs of paraffin in rural areas, all these if compounded together with others are common problems affecting education sector, said Prof. Mbise Lack of support from the communities in the building of social facilities such as water boreholes, classroom renovations and other facilities like amenities which have to be supported by the community, and since the community is not responsible enough then the quality would definitely deteriorates. It is very shaming to note that, the community members have not seen the importance of this in order to change their lives in most parts of the country bearing in mind the fact that, such expenses could be met by the government, but due to poverty the situation becomes worse. Public schools suffer so much because parents do not push their children for studies and this is because of little motivation for studies. But in private schools they have an idea for education as investors in private sectors takes care of students and equip them with the necessary teaching materials. Private schools are properly managed and supervised as their owners have to make a follow up and see what their consumers and members of the community would want them to do. Unlike in private schools, public schools have no supervisors to look after students. Teachers are trying to push them to study but find it very difficulty as their parents are not doing that. Comparing the educational system of the neighboring Kenya and Ugandan countries, Pro. Mbise noted that, “the two countries are more advanced than Tanzania as they started to build their system earlier though are very expensive in private schools, but have very high quality education” However, he said that, teachers in these countries have their students pushed on by their parents from their homes. He mentioned the Harambee philosophy being used by Kenyans since independence and is still in practice. The philosophy he said has helped many Kenyans as it is a joint community efforts to let their children acquire education which in return is for their benefits. Unlike in Tanzania which in the past had a self reliance education policy which he noted could not work effectively, and this is because of the fact that, the country is not committed fully into valuing education to the community. “If people are able to contribute for wedding why not education” he queried. In order to restore the dignity once attained in the past, the government cannot run away from investing honest efforts and resources in education. In this case, every person has a role to play especially parents who have a greater role to push in their children. The community must make sure that, teachers whom they have entrusted with the responsibilities to sharpen those fresh brains and are properly prepared for academic knowledge and skills have their schools improved as everybody sends their children to them to get knowledge. Professor Mbise has suggested that, the government should embark on the issue of creating a conducive teaching environment for teachers and students as well, by this he insists that, teachers must get enough motivation and good environment with full facilities available for their living despite of the fact that such incentives are not given priority by the government.

An expert warns against early childhood admission in boarding schools

PARENTS and prospective child care givers in the country have been warned against sending their children to primary boarding schools at an early age preferably between 3 and 8 years because of some psychological effects that might develop within the minds of such children, an expert in childhood education has said. A senior lecturer in the department of psychology and curriculum studies at the School of Education of the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Professor Akundaeli Mbise said in an exclusive interview early this week in Dar es Salaam that, at such an earlier age, children needs to receive their parental care as this is the basic elementary knowledge needed for them prior to maturity. Prof. Mbise who has specialized in early childhood educational career noted that, sending children at such an early age denies them basic rights which they should earlier be given by their parents for social, physical and intellectual stimulation before are taken to school.  In view of this, however he has strongly cautioned that, children’s admissions into primary boarding schools at such an age have a negative effect that is likely to lead them to emotional growth. “Sending children to boarding schools under 8 years means you are separating them from their parents as most of them becomes frustrated emotionally”. He said adding that, they get distressed emotionally a situation that eventually develops low sense of attachment from their parents’ care. Elaborating further he noted that, children loose parental warmth which could make them know who exactly are their parents, they also develop negative behaviors due to lack of cooperation among them which arises as a result of bullying that sometimes develop fear feelings among them.  Elaborating the effects of sending children to schools for class one admission at an early age and not in a boarding school he noted that, at a normal circumstances the attitude has positive outcome as there will have no any bad effects if trained properly at school as early teachings gives them confidence to work hard in order to maintain high learning achievements. He explained that, early childhood education which is recommended for mentally development at between 5 and 7 years old has also been much more social when they meet fellow children at the school. Social behavior becomes more cooperative among them and more easily and also they support one another in different matters. The normal childhood education in Tanzania is mixed up with principal education whereby primary school teachers teach children how to count and read. But as for the development of children this is not enough as teachers may also use numbers for everyday home environments. According to Prof. Mbise this is to develop pre-reading which prepares them into a stage whereby once sent to start standard one, should not be in difficult. To do that, he added, teachers requires preparing well materials for them. Commenting on the fee structure charge by private schools in the country, Prof. Mbise noted that, there should be a regulator to control this in order to let every student be able to afford it for all including other expenses charged. In this manner however, he noted that the government would be in a position of grading their standards that students would know the types of services they provide.

Quality control agent stresses on the limitation of imports

TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) has suggested that, in order 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 which threatens local manufacturers in the country. TBS Director of Quality Management, Dominic Mwakangale said in an exclusive interview recently in Dar es Salaam the formulated policy would give a little chance for the unscrupulous importers to think of ordering faked and counterfeit goods whose presence has become a menace to local consumers in the country. Analyzing his point, he said that, the government has failed to control the influx of such goods because of the freedom which it has given importers and this has brought such a problem as they can import cheap selling products of the low grades which do not conform to the standards. The TBS boss had just presented his paper in a one day forum organized by the Confederation  of Tanzania Industries (CTI) that discussed the main challenges facing industrialists in the country in their move to curb with the increased substandard products in the country.  The one day forum had a theme that focused “role of the role of pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards in curbing counterfeit and sub-standards goods in Tanzania” However, he admitted the fact that, to a certain level TBS has failed to curb the increased substandard goods which have flooded the local market as most of these goods are entered through porous routes whose control has become inevitable by all circumstances. 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 to a greater extent in their country. 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. 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. 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 Confederation of Tanzania industries (CTI). He named the Fair Competition Commission (FCC), TBS, the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TDFA), the Weight and Measures Agency (WMA) police force 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.  “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. According to a recent study conducted by CTI on “Review of Laws and Regulations relating to counterfeit and Sub-standard Goods in Tanzania” counterfeit and Sub-standard products account for an estimated 20 percent of all goods imported in Tanzania.  The negative effects of such goods on the economy of Tanzania are immense.