AfricaPress-Tanzania: Chief Government Spokesperson, Dr. Hassan Abbasi said the governments of Tanzania and Kenya are still talking about ending the dispute over imported maize.
Dr. Abbasi told reporters that in the city yesterday that it is true that there are Tanzanian vehicles blocked on the Namanga border in Arusha region, but on the borders of Horohoro, Tanga and other borders pass.
“In such a situation we government to government must talk and talks are ongoing on why Horohoro is passing but Namanga has been blocked so it is an issue that is being addressed,” said Dr Abbasi.
Yesterday ACT ACT Nationalists said Tanzania maize is safe so the government should talk to the Kenyan government to end the dispute over the market for the crop. The party’s leader, Kabwe Zitto said yesterday that Tanzanians do not grow toxic maize and that they eat the same crops sold in Kenya.
A statement from the Department of Information and Publicity, ACT Patriots stated that Zitto said the dispute over the maize market was a diplomatic matter and not toxic.
“In this case of maize, I believe that the argument is not aflatoxin. Our countries have been making concerted efforts to combat aflatoxin and the evidence is EAC proposed legislation.
This is a matter of diplomacy.
Let Tanzania and Kenya sit and talk.
“There are legal procedures to follow to check the quality of maize. Follow that, ”said Zitto.
A statement from the party’s secretary general stated that Tanzania’s maize was safe and had an acceptable level of aflatoxins and that Kenya and Tanzania had been taking steps to combat aflatoxins through the EAC and that there was an EALA bill on it.
“Aflatoxin has been used as a reason but not an argument. The move is business, ”said Zitto.
He said the ban on Tanzania’s maize entry into Kenya should not be on the EAC agreement and the East African Common Market Protocol and every EAC member must respect the agreement and protocol.
Meanwhile, Our Correspondent, Amina Omari reports from Mkinga that the Tanga Regional leadership has denied reports claiming that maize imported into Kenya from Tanzania does not have quality standards for human consumption.
The governor, Martine Shigela, made the remarks during a visit to the Horohoro border and said those who spread the information had a bad intention of disrupting good trade relations between the two countries.
Shigela said the border has food safety specialists so it is not possible to pass quality products. “We want you to continue with the business of exporting maize as usual, the statement that maize from Tanzania should not be eaten by Kenyans because it is of poor quality is not true.
The report is that every day maize is passed through and crossed to Kenya without any restrictions, ”said Shigela.
He said according to the figures over the weekend a total of 510 tonnes of maize was smuggled across the Horohoro border to Kenya so if they were defective they would be identified and prevented.
He urged traders and citizens in the area to continue doing business as the government plans to improve them so that they can be done within 24 hours.
Kenyan businessman Jafo Otara, who has been exporting maize from Tanzania for more than six years, said they had already contacted a lawyer in their country to prosecute him for distributing false information.
“We have spoken to the Minister of Agriculture and Food in our country and he has denied the existence of the report and said that the report will be from the forest and not his, and that tomorrow Monday (yesterday) March 8, 2021, he is going to report to the press,” he said. said Otara.
Horohoro Station Officer in Charge, Nsajigwa Mwambegele said last year 72,000 tonnes of goods were smuggled across the border from Kenya worth Sh 98 billion.
He said 53,000 tonnes of goods from Tanzania were smuggled across the border to Kenya at a cost of Sh 50 billion. Our goal is to improve relations for the better economic and social development of all parties, ”said Mbwambegele.
