TANZANIA exporters
and importers may have access to more regional and global markets
through use of the National Enquiry Point (NEP) that provide real time
information on international markets
standards.
Lack of awareness
on the differences between technical regulations, standards and
conformity assessment procedures adopted by various countries has at
most time resulted into the creation of obstacles among importers and
exporters.
And if products
produced by Tanzanian enterprises are to gain global appeal, it is
crucial that they meet international markets standards thus creating the
need to have a special desk to handle and coordinate exporters and
importers.
Therefore, NEP
became important platform in handling information on technical
regulations and standards adopted or proposed to be adopted and
conformity assessment procedures adopted or proposed to be adopted.
The centre uses the resources available in the library to answer enquiries from exporters and importers in Tanzania and abroad.
An official with
NEP, Bahati Samillani, said through NEP Tanzanian enterprises can now
access information from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) on the
most up to date technical regulations and standards notified by member
states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
"Tanzania signed
agreement with the WTO that led to increased transparency as well as
directing the member to inform other members on the guidelines aimed at
improving easiness of doing business," he said.
The Bank of
Tanzania (BoT) monthly economic review for February shows that the value
of exports of goods and services increased to 9,915.6 million US
dollars in year ending January 2020 compared with 8,262.7 million US
dollars recorded in corresponding period of 2019 attributed by increase
in both value of good exports and service receipts.
The value of
imports increased to 10,785.4 million US dollars in the year ending
January 2020 from 10,420.5 million US dollars in the corresponding
period in 2019, driven by goods imports.
The NEP is located
within the TBS Information Centre which is the collection of national,
foreign, regional and international standards, technical regulations and
standardization related information and is open for the public from
Monday to Friday.
The agreement
requires WTO members to establish NEP as a way of mitigating problems
business enterprises face in obtaining information on technical
regulations, standards and conformity assessment procedures applicable
to their products in international markets.
According to
Samillani, the mandate to establish the special desk is under the
Ministry of Industry and Trade as an entity recognised by WTO.
But since the
ministry does not manage it directly, the obligation was given to TBS.
Therefore, TBS has already established special desk as the NEP tasked
with the handling of business enquiries, adding that their duty is to
ensure that all the guidelines contribute to easiness of doing business.
The Enquiry Point
enables enterprises to find out the requirements for access to markets
of WTO members so that they can make preparations to comply with the
requirements.
The agreement aims
to ensure that technical regulations, standards and testing, inspection
and certification procedures do not create unnecessary obstacles to
international trade.
The agreement
provides for a notification procedure which requires all WTO members to
inform other members, through the WTO secretariat of their proposed
technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures.
This procedure
allows business enterprises in WTO member states to become acquainted
with technical regulations, standards and conformity assessment
procedures proposed by members before they are implemented.
"For example, when
we export honey to Arab countries and that there are new guidelines that
may have adverse effect in the business, they give their views and send
them to NEP in the country concerned," he said noting that they
encourage stakeholders to make follow-up on the information regarding
the guidelines through the electronic means or go directly to NEP.
The centre has been
using various exhibition platforms like Southern African Development
Community (SADC) to provide awareness on NEP and how it can support
businesses.
Currently, the
number of business people seeking information from NEP is progressively
increasing which is an indication that the centre is providing support
to business growth.
"We are continually
encouraging traders to abide to the procedures and guidelines so that
their goods meet the required standards of the country for which they
are exporting," he noted.
For example,
through NEP we supported traders who wanted to export their goods to
South Africa and South Sudan get necessary information on the guidelines
to do business on these countries.
Concerning how the
centre helps importers, Samillani said that most of them seek
information from NEP and get immediate help on guidelines on how to
conduct smooth flow of business.
He explained that
before publishing the guidelines in the government gazette by the
minister of industry and trade, other members of WTO should be informed
in a period of 60 days to give their views if any.
"We are also making
our guidelines and inform the WTO and later get feedback from the
member countries if any and give them to our experts who prepared the
guidelines," he said.
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