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25th
October
2007
Parliamentary committee wants TBS
empowered
THE Trade and Investment
Parliamentary Committee has pledged to
propose to the government to provide the
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) with
‘legal teeth’ to scrutinize substandard
products in the country.
The Committee’s Chairman, Mr. William
Shelukindo said on 2007-10-17 during his
committee’s visit to the Bureau that TBS
is using an outdated law which needs to
be reviewed to ensure that the
organization is able to counter
substandard goods and penalize business
dealers violating standards rules and
regulations.
"The current Standards Act is outdated
and lacks legal mandate to deal with
massive importation and circulation of
substandard goods in the domestic
market," said Mr. Shelukindo.
The Standards Act was enacted in 1975
and Mr. Shelukindo feels that it needs
to be reshaped to improve TBS
performance. He also described TBS as
the backbone of the nation and that
there was no need to privatize it.
"Issues of standards and quality can not
be taken for granted, we must respect
some of these organs and the government
should always have its hand on them," he
said.
On his part, TBS Acting Director, Mr.
Charles Ekelege told committee members
that the challenges facing the Bureau
include lack of powers to deal with
people violating quality rules and
regulations.
"We collaborate with Tanzania Revenue
Authority, Tanzania Food and Drugs
Authority, Surface and Marine Transport
Regulatory Authority, Fair Competition
Commission and Energy and Water
Utilities Regulatory Authority in
handling such cases," said Mr. Ekelege.
He said the current law does not give
authoritative powers to the Bureau to
deal with fuel adulterators. "This is
where our main challenge lies. The
solution is that where we do not have
mandate, we try to use friendly
authorities like TRA, EWURA, FCC and
SUMATRA," he said.
Contributing on the matter, the Deputy
Chairman of the Committee Dr. Harrison
Mwakyembe said the Standards Act is now
under review and would soon be submitted
to the Parliament for amendment in order
to empower the Bureau.
"An amended Standards Act will offer an
immediate impact on those who do not
follow quality rules and regulations,"
said Mr. Mwakyembe.
Commenting on the issue, TBS Executive
Council Chairperson Prof. Apollinaria
Pereka said the 1975 act was outdated
adding: "But I received reports from the
Ministry of Industry, Trade and
Marketing recently saying that the
amendment is in the final stages."
Summing up, the Deputy Minister for
Industry, Trade and Marketing, Mr.
Hezekiah Chibulunje said the government
has heard the outcry on the Standards
Act and would ensure that the law is
amended.
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|
Members of
the Parliamentary Trade and Investment
Committee and Deputy Minister for Industry,
Trade and Marketing Mr. Hezekiah Chibulunje
are briefed on the activities performed by the
Metrology Laboratory. |
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