TANZANIA – The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has carried out a sensitization exercise that has benefited more than 11, 600 people in three districts, on criteria for identifying and buying quality goods.
TBS also seized the opportunity to urge business people to register their food premises so as to legalize their operations.
Out of 11,636 people reached in the campaign concluded over the weekend 7,536 were primary and secondary schools students from three districts namely Rombo in Kilimanjaro Region, Lushoto in Tanga Region and Hanang in Manyara Region.
Aside from primary and secondary schools, the campaign was also conducted in market places, bus stations and auction markets. Numerous people in these areas responded positively and gathered to acquire knowledge on various issues related to goods quality provided by the TBS officials.
The TBS Head of Relations and Marketing, Gladness Kaseka used the opportunity to remind the people during the campaigns on the war against fake and substandard goods.
“Through the campaigns we provided knowledge to students and teachers as well as entrepreneurs on the significance of observing goods standards for the safety of their health,” she noted.
She said by imparting knowledge on goods quality and standards to primary and secondary school students it is easy to influence their families and the whole society. She encouraged whistleblowing among the public to respective authorities once they learn that certain products are of low quality or have been banned from the local markets.
Kaseka further urged business people to observe properly all the guidelines needed in the registration of goods and business premises which are being provided in all the TBS offices.
On his part, Lushoto District Executive Director, Ikupa Mwaisyoge commended TBS for the campaigns aimed at educating people on goods quality from the district levels that would help in the efforts to remove substandard goods from the market.
“I urge TBS to extend the campaigns to reach various groups of entrepreneurs in Lushoto District that would enable them to start the process of acquiring the license of using the quality standard mark,” said Mwaisyoge
At the start of October, the bureau handed over licenses and certificates to 227 manufacturers whose products had met the TBS quality mark standards in a handover ceremony held at its head quarter in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam.
The standards watchdog has of late been vigilant in its awareness campaigns urging small and medium enterprises to certify their goods under the free certification program and registration of business premises.
