AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) through its Northern Zonal office is using the ongoing NaneNane agriculture exhibitions to register business premises, bringing registration services closer to business people.
This will be the first time for the country’s standard watchdog to offer registration services during the annual farmers fair.
This was said by the TBS Senior Marketing Officer, Ms Gladness Kaseka at the ongoing agriculture exhibitions taking place at Themi grounds in Arusha Region yesterday.
“TBS is one of the key stakeholders in the annual agricultural event, particularly in providing farmers, livestock keepers and fishers with knowledge on how to add value to their products,” she said.
Producing agriculture goods that meet local and international market standards, she said, increases consumer confidence in buying and using them.
On his part, an inspector with TBS, Mr Anderson Msumanje urged owners of hotels, restaurants, food warehouses, food and cosmetic shops as well as supermarkets to make efficient use of the ongoing agriculture fair in the region to register their businesses.
“We encourage customers to bring with them their TIN number in order to get business registration services,” he said.
The business registration service, he added, is normally obtained through the TBS website.
He said TBS is using the NaneNane fair to address farmers’ challenges which they encounter in registering their businesses to avoid unnecessary disturbances of running unregistered business.
The acting TBS Head of Zonal Office, Stanford Matee said the standard watchdog has so far offered 446 licenses while 1500 applications are being processed.
“We are also using this opportunity to provide awareness to small entrepreneurs on how they can get the quality standard mark free of charge. They just need to get an introduction letter from Small Industries Development Organisation (SIDO),” he added.
The NaneNane fair in the northern zone was officially opened by the Deputy Agriculture Minister, Omary Mgumba on Tuesday this week.
Minister Mgumba in his speech emphasized the need for farmers, livestock keepers and fishermen to visit the agriculture fair in order to acquire knowledge on issues pertaining to modern farming practices.
