Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)

The 26th East African Community Standards Committee is expected to approve 102 standards on goods from the region and 99 international goods with the aim of facilitating trade and enhancing its contribution to the economy.

The un-harmonized standards and other trade documentation and duplicative inspections and testing have been the major cause for overall delays and increases the cost of doing business within the EAC.

This was said by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards Director General Dr Yusuf Ngenya during the 26th region's standards committee two-day meeting that ends today in the Arusha City.

"The purpose of these standards is not only to facilitate trade within the EAC region but also to protect consumers' health and the economy and from turning member states from being dumping place," he said.

Dr Ngenya said the standards were prepared on areas of food, timbers, cotton clothes, petrol and its products, shoes, leather and its products, metal products, medical equipment as well as cosmetics products.

He insisted on the importance of having harmonizing standards in fostering trade across the region and promised to ensure Tanzania through TBS is adopting harmonized standards on time.

The meeting brought together the heads of all standards institutions and quality control from the EAC regional member states.

He said the standards approved are fundamental in addressing technical impediments and boosting trade and the economy of the EAC regional member states.

He said the meeting will receive reports from the technical committee on standards, quality control, metrology, measurements, codex committee.

Also, the other reports to be presented are from the committee that addresses trade impediments as well as task force on strategic plan and preparation of the regulations for its implementation.

Dr Ngenya said the heads of the standards institutions from the EAC Community will go through the reports and work on them with ultimate goal to facilitate business in the region which comprises of eight members.

He said other recommendations will be submitted to cabinet meetings of trade, investment, finance and industry for more deliberations.

The region's standards committee was established in 2006 to coordinate, monitoring and implementing harmonization of standards in the community as well as monitoring quality control of goods produced by the member states.