TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) has encouraged entrepreneurs to capitalise on the government’s free products certification services to boost their value that would ultimately penetrate wider market.
Marketing officer with TBS Rhoda Mayugu said over the weekend that TBS has reached and imparted knowledge on quality standards to a huge number of small and medium entrepreneurs countrywide.
Recently, TBS provided training to various groups of people and entrepreneurs in three regions namely Kigoma, Dodoma and Tabora on how they can acquire TBS quality standard mark.
“In Kigoma Region, TBS met and trained various groups in Kakonko District including 200 people at Omuruganza market, 838 students in Kakonko secondary school as well as 20 entrepreneurs,” she said.
Ms Mayugu added that, “Entrepreneurs are encouraged to use the opportunity given by the government to acquire quality standard mark that will help them penetrate both regional and global markets.”
She said for an entrepreneur to obtain the quality standard mark has to bring an introductory letter from the Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO) and from there TBS certification process starts immediately.
During the training, TBS informed entrepreneurs on the changes of law last year for which some obligation particularly pertaining to quality and safety of cosmetics transferred to TBS from the former Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA).
On their part, entrepreneurs commended the TBS initiative of reaching them their places and training them on how to acquire quality standard mark as well as resolving various challenges concerning quality marks.
They also commended the government for shifting some of the obligations from the former TFDA to TBS that will reduce some impediments in obtaining various services particularly the quality standard mark.
The entrepreneurs asked TBS to continue reaching them in their places as it will increase efficiencies in the businesses and penetrate wider market.
At Omuruganza market, TBS used the opportunity to provide awareness to the people on how to identify substandard goods.
