TANZANIA – In a bid to empower Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania, the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has extended a generous offer: free product certification.
The initiative has already benefited more than 600 SMEs, and TBS is calling upon others to seize this opportunity to enhance their market presence.
TBS highlighted that the certification process comes at no charge to SMEs. The government covers the expenses, allocating an annual budget of between 150 million (U.S$ 59,880) and 200 million (U.S$ 79,840) for this purpose.
The favorable arrangement extends for the initial three years, providing substantial financial relief to budding entrepreneurs.
Ms. Gladness Kaseka, TBS’s Public Relations and Marketing Manager, emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting SMEs. She made this announcement during the Farmer’s Day exhibition held at Themi open ground, Njiro in Arusha.
“Certification processes are conducted free of charge to the SMEs since the government has set aside the sum of money to cover all costs… I call upon those who have not yet certified to do so,” said Ms. Kaseka.
She added, “Until now, more than 600 entrepreneurs from various places in the country have certified their products with the TBS under this program.”
Supporting SMEs at the Grassroots
TBS’s presence at the exhibition aimed to introduce various services offered by the authority and to understand the challenges faced by SMEs, with the aim of providing solutions.
“We have been here since the beginning of the exhibition on August 1, purposefully to discover challenges facing the entrepreneurs and be able to give solutions,” she explained.
Among the services mentioned by Ms. Kaseka were the registration of food premises, quality of standard licenses, guidance on exportation business, and raising awareness about the importance of reading product labels to identify their validity.
This year’s exhibition, themed ‘Vijana na wanawake ni msingi imara wa mifumo endelevu ya chakula’ (Youth and Women are the Strong Foundation of Sustainable Food Systems), was officially launched by Mr. Zubeir Ali Maulid, the Speaker of the Zanzibar House of Representatives.
TBS’s commitment to supporting SMEs through free product certification aligns with Tanzania’s broader goals of fostering economic growth, encouraging entrepreneurship, and ensuring the quality and safety of products in the market.
This initiative empowers small businesses to expand their reach and contribute to the nation’s economic development.
