Africa-Press – Tanzania. ZANZIBAR Second Vice-President Hemed Suleiman Abdalla has issued a strong warning to members of the business community over the importation and sale of expired food, saying they must be dealt with according to the law.
“Importation, storage, and sale of expired commodities is an offence which can lead to revoke of business licence and imprisonment,” Mr Abdalla warned, after making an impromptu visit at the Malindi seaport, where he ordered the seizing and destruction of expired rice imported into the country in March last year.
Mr Abdalla issued the three-day ultimatum to the ‘Zanzibar Foods and Drug Agency (ZFDA)’ to ensure the seized rice is destroyed to avoid it being smuggled into the market again and pose health threats to the public.
According to the press statement from the Second Vice -President’s office, the importer of the rice was identified as Mr Suleiman Abdulla, but the volume of the rice was unclear, and why the consignment was not cleared from the seaport since March 2020, remained unkown.
ZFDA officers at the port informed the Second Vice-President that the seized rice was tested and found not good for human consumption, and hence, promised to destroy it.
Meanwhile, the Zanzibar Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Authority (ZAECA)’ has recovered more than 33m/- from conmen, who had charged or asked bribes from job seekers, with a promise to provide them with employment.
ZAECA’s press statement released on Monday indicated that 58 young people looking for jobs had paid the amount to conmen who had promised to recruit them in the Zanzibar special department (security forces), Oil & Gas project, and government offices.
The statement did not mention anything about the status of the conmen, but it warned the people looking for jobs that it is also an offence to pay for a job opportunity in public institution(s) and that those, who buy a job risk being prosecuted for corruption.
