TBS destroys tonnes of used underpants

DAILY NEWS Reporte

TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) has destroyed three tonnes of used underpants, shoes and motorcycle helmets worth 32m/- for failure to meet required standards.

The said property imported from various countries namely China, Japan and Pakistan were burnt at Kisarawe area, Coast Region over the weekend in presence of various government officials.

Speaking after the exercise, Zena Chijoriga, the Quality Assurance officer from Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) , said apart from poor standards, the goods were burnt due to the Tanzania’s Law which bans importation of used underpants because of their contribution to skin infections.

She said the container of the said goods, underpants, was intercepted at the Port of Dar es Salaam by TBS, since the law already forbid its importation.

Regarding shoes, Chijoriga, said “we burnt them because they do not meet standards even at naked eye”. Speaking on helmets, she said it was revealed that they were too light to resist any kind of impact.

On her part, the Marketing Officer at TBS, Rhoda Mayugu , asked traders to import standards approved products in order to avoid fines and destruction at their own costs.

She also urged Tanzanians to avoid buying substandard goods that would make traders fail to import in the country, because they are no longer needed.

She said urging traders to abide by requirements of Pre-Shipment Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVoC). PVoC helps exporters and importers swift customs clearance with the appropriate Certificate of Conformity (CoC).

She said inspection of quality for goods outside Tanzania is done by international agencies spread all over the world urging traders to contact them.