Why traders should meet quality standards
Business people have been urged to ensure that their goods meet the required quality standards to protect consumers’ health and penetrate wide markets.
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) Public Relations and Marketing Manager Ms Gladness Kaseka in the ongoing 11th Trade and Tourism Exhibitions in Tanga Region yesterday that failure to meet the quality standards risk to face legal actions including fine between 10m/- to 100m/-.
“Business people should ensure that they produce goods that meet the required quality standards before entering the markets to avoid incurring heavy penalties,” she said.
She said TBS is conducting inspections of domestic and imported goods to check if they meet the country’s quality standards before entering into the market.
By abiding to TBS quality standards, business people can reap immense benefits by producing goods that meet the required standards including building consumers’ confidence and fetching high market price.
Ms Kaseka said the information provided in the packaging materials particularly on food products are of paramount importance because they give details on the safety and confidence to consumers.
“Consumers are encouraged to read carefully the products information on the ingredients contained and if they are certified to avoid getting health problems for using low quality products,” she said.
When traders are seized with low quality products may face legal action including a fine of not less than 10m/- and not more than 100m/- depending on gravity of the problem at the time.
She said TBS is conducting inspections of domestic and imported goods to check if they meet the country’s quality standards before entering into the market.
For example, the ‘TBS’ standards mark of quality makes people buy with confidence. On the other hand, it protects the manufacturers from competing with inferior products and enables them to prove to the market that their products satisfy all the requirements specified in the standards.
The government has been putting more efforts to build strong economy which is sustainable and it is from this backdrop that TBS is continuing to provide education to producers and consumers on the need to abide to quality standards.
