Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)

Entrepreneurs have been urged to ensure their products meet high quality standards to compete effectively in the East African Community (EAC) market.

This call was made by Mr Sileja Lushibika, a Quality Assurance Officer from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), during a seminar for 46 entrepreneurs and local residents at the Seventh Economic Empowerment Programme Fair held in Singida from 8th to 14th of September this year.

Mr Lushibika highlighted that, under agreements between EAC countries’ standardisation bodies, once a product is certified in one member country, it does not need to be re-tested when entering other EAC markets.

"Everyone who participated in these exhibitions received education on how to achieve quality certification. We provide them with best practices for processing since there are essential guidelines to follow for a product to be of high quality," said Lushibika.

He added that TBS is committed to supporting entrepreneurs through this learning process.

By adhering to these guidelines and utilizing available resources, entrepreneurs can enhance their product quality and increase their market competitiveness.

The Bureau's goal is to empower local businesses to meet international standards and take advantage of opportunities within the EAC market.

He emphasized that the government is currently covering all costs for small entrepreneurs to certify their products' quality for three years, with the expectation that they will have developed sufficiently by then.

TBS plans to continue educating entrepreneurs on obtaining quality marks, addressing SMEs concerns about the difficulty of achieving certification.

Mr Lushibika encouraged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the free product certification opportunity, noting that the application process has been simplified and can now be completed online.

Applicants are required to provide an identification letter from the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) when submitting their certification requests.