Author: JAMES KAMALA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) is working on a business strategy which will simplify local traders’ quest to access regional and global markets.
The TPSF Chairperson, Ms Angelina Ngalula, said in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday that the strategy will, among others, address a number of challenges impeding exporters’ access to foreign markets.
“Local manufacturers produce high quality goods that meet global standards, but they have been facing challenges in accessing markets. It is from this backdrop that the country private sector’s body is developing business strategy to address them,” she said.
Citing an example, she said lack of market information is a major challenge that most local exporters face in taking advantage of the huge markets in both the regional and international blocks.
Some exporters lack knowledge of the export procedures even in countries with regional cooperation, a setback which has been denying them access to the markets hence; affecting the growth of their business.
Also, export turnover to Malawi last year remained below 60m US dollars, while the demand for a number of local products in Malawi has continued to be high.
“This is why TPSF wants to come up with a strategy that highlights opportunities for local traders to grab,” Ms Ngalula noted.
She said that the envisaged strategy would not only shed light on opportunities available in foreign markets, but also challenges, exporting procedures, related taxes which would work as a roadmap for Tanzanians wishing to invest abroad or sealing deals with their counterparts.
“Local traders need surveyed reports which involve related government ministries for their action, this will be done immediately by TPSF,” she promised.
For his part, Tanzania high commissioner in Malawi, Mr Benedict Mashiba, who officiated the meeting, said Tanzanian farm and industrial products were of high demand in Malawi and that the embassy’s both hands were widely welcoming Tanzania traders on ways of seizing them.
“Industrial products like washing soaps, cement clinkers, petroleum jelly, and salt are of a high demand. Also farm products like banana, potatoes highly attract Malawi market, Tanzanians can take that advantage,” she explained.
He hinted that Malawi’s market was 18 million people and the economy was growing by 5.8 per cent before the coronavirus outbreak, which means that it was an ideal market for Tanzanian exporters.
The High Commissioner also said Malawi was the second largest export market to Tanzanian products after South Africa, and that it was easier to top the list at geographical situation amid improved transportation infrastructures, and that was favouring Tanzanian traders.
