Africa-Press – Tanzania. TANZANIAN importers and exporters of different goods online are increasingly falling into traps of conmen, who capitalise on the e-commerce that has become necessary means of doing business due to Covid-19 restrictions in some countries.
With travel restriction imposed in some countries, importers and exporters of various items are forced to opt for the ecommerce, only to meet a challenge of crooks fleecing them in the course.
According to Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TANTRADE), it has come to their attention that several Tanzanian business people have been conned when ordering goods online from companies in some countries.
Acting director of trade promotion at the TANTRADE, Mr Boniface Michael (pictured) said recently that the matter has been on the rise since January last year, and affected some traders, who have been reporting the cases to them.
Mr Michael said the unscrupulous companies have been receiving orders of goods from Tanzanian traders, but in the end, they either do not deliver them, or deliver substandard ones.
Elaborating, he said in some cases our traders send goods to the companies that in turn fail to remit the payments as agreed.
The acting director further clarified that the most affected traders were those exporting livestock and fisheries products, minerals as well as importers of various motor vehicle and engine spare parts.
“This seriously affects the businesspeople and weakens their capitals pumped in such business as well as the country’s economy,” pointed out Mr Michael, while addressing a press conference in Dar es Salaam.
To address the issue, Tantrade has been making efforts of communicating with Tanzania’s ambassadors in the affected countries, where importers and exporters had reported having been conned.
“The security organs of those countries are continuing to make close follow-ups on the matter, including tracking communication made with the companies,” he added.
The acting director noted that most of the traders find themselves in such scenarios, because they do not follow the right channels of linking the companies with Tanzania companies abroad or locally consulting Tantrade in the business.
“We urge the traders to avoid using shortcuts… they should use proper channels, including coming to us to establish the authenticity of any foreign company they want to do business with or use our embassies in the countries to find out, whether the particular company exists before transacting money,” he advised.
The authority further counseled the businesspeople to use their associations such as the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA) and others to get linked with foreign companies, because those associations have their detailed information
