Tanzania emerges top on managing chemicals

BERNARD LUGONGO

TANZANIA’S management on chemicals and waste chemicals has attracted international recognition, enabling it to emerge among Africa’s best for having sound management systems.

The country won the position during the just-ended international conference on sound management of chemicals and waste held in Geneva, Switzerland.

Hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the meeting is conducted at two-year intervals, as a followup to the three Conventions focused on protecting health and the environment. These are Basel Convention (BC COP- 13), the Rotterdam Convention (RC COP-8) and the Stockholm Convention (SC COP-8).

During the meeting, which was held from April 24 to May 5, the member countries of the three conventions showcased what they were doing to implement better practices of the chemicals management.

According to the Chief Government Chemist (CGC), Professor Samwel Manyele, Tanzania was placed at third position for having a good legal system and organisation structure for handling chemicals and waste chemicals.

South Africa was overall winner, followed by Nigeria. Elaborating, Prof Manyele said the country was deemed to have a good Industrial and Consumer Chemicals (Management and Control) Act 2003.

The Act provides for the management and control of the production, importation, transportation, exportation, storage, dealing, and disposal of chemicals and for matters connected therewith.

“The way we crafted this law and enforcing it demonstrated our expertise to the international community,” noted the Chief Chemist. He further explained that placing chemicals management under the ministry in charge of health demonstrated how Tanzania attached great importance to the environmental and health impact of the chemicals.

Winning third position was also a result of having the Government Chemist Laboratory Agency (GCLA) as the entity specifically charged with chemicals management.

“In many countries, issues of chemicals are handled by environmental experts. But here in Tanzania, the management of chemicals is done by the chemists, who are the right professionals,” added Prof Manyele.