TANZANIA – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is holding a special pedagogical training for trainers (ToTs) with the goal of enhancing the capacity of key experts from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) to encourage compliance, cost-cutting, and market access among the nation’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
The training is part of a series of interventions aimed at building capacity under the QUALITAN project, which is sponsored by the European Union (EU) and aims to support standards and quality for Tanzania’s MSMEs.
Along with providing pedagogical trainings, the QUALITAN project will increase the capacity of TBS laboratories across the nation by offering equipment, conducting trainings, giving key TBS experts field attachments and arranging study tours.
The project makes it easier for MSMEs to receive compliance testing, lowering the financial and administrative expenses of compliance, and facilitating market accessibility and international trade.
These interventions will also contribute towards the synchronization of various elements of the quality infrastructure.
The goal of the training, according to Gerald Runyoro, the UNIDO Tanzania National Programme Officer, is to enable TBS trainers to be able to educate their coworkers and other stakeholders in order to accomplish the project’s goals.
According to him, this is a component of the QUALITAN project, which aims to increase the capacity of TBS, including the effectiveness and reach of laboratories, standardization efforts, ICT, and information system management.
“The ultimate goal is to support the MSMEs in order for them to comply with quality and standard requirements in order for them to access local and international markets,” he disclosed.
According to him, the project squarely fits into UNIDO’s mandate which is also fully recognized by Sustainable Development Goal nine (SDG-9), which calls for building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.
“As a specialized Agency of the United Nations, UNIDO promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization, and environmental sustainability.
“We appreciate the financial support by the European Union and collaboration from TBS for jointly working together to achieve the overall objective of the project,” Mr. Runyoro said.
The TBS Director General, Dr. Athuman Y. Ngenya, thanked UNIDO and the EU for the initiative and hailed it as a shot in the arm to their efforts in upholding quality and standards in the nation.
“Our goal is to have sustainable standardization for a high-quality livelihood society through the promotion of standardization, safety, and quality assurance in industry and commerce. So the QAUALITAN project adds to our efforts towards that overall objective,” he said.
Dr. Ngenya outlined how TBS hopes to strengthen MSMEs’ adherence to quality standards through the project in order to increase consumer safety and increase their market access.
40 people from the TBS HQ and zonal offices, including those in charge of planning, standardization, testing, and metrology, training, and research, among other things, are taking part in the training in Bagomoyo, Coast region.
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