By Lydia Shekighenda
THE government has vowed to deal with agents and middlemen who hike prices of locally manufactured industrial products and ensure that they are available at affordable prices.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said that the government cannot allow the products to be sold at high prices while all the important necessities and raw materials for production are available in the country.
"In addition to the efforts being undertaken to encourage the establishment of industries in the country, the government has also decided to deal with agents and middle men who hike prices of the products," the Premier said yesterday at the official inauguration of the 5th Tanzanian industrial products exhibition at Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair grounds.
He added that: "I am going to meet them on Monday ... we cannot produce our local products with all important materials available, such as transport, water, electricity and raw materials, and sell them at high prices as if they are imported".
He said that the government will take all necessary steps to ensure that local consumers buy the products at affordable prices.
Mr Majaliwa further said that the theme for this year's exhibition 'Use Tanzanian Products, Build Tanzania', aims at sensitising Tanzanians to buy and use locally manufactured products to stimulate production development of industries in the country.
He said that the use of locally manufactured products will help a lot in attaining high middle income status.
He called upon Tanzanians to implement this year's slogan by promoting industrial development through exhibition of products, knowledge sharing and explore market opportunities and increase production.
The PM also said that the exhibitions will also help to do away with the notion that quality products are from outside the country.
"Tanzania produces quality products, thus if this notion is removed, it will help to increase production and expand our markets," he said.
Meanwhile, the PM has directed all regulatory bodies to ensure that all imported commodities for various exhibitions meet international standards.
He said the move will help to ensure that substandard products have no place in the Tanzanian market.
Mr Majaliwa called upon manufacturers to increase production and use raw materials available in the country to reduce cost of production and compete in the market.
"Tanzanians should do away with the notion that imported commodities have better quality than locally manufactured goods... our products have better quality, let us all buy them in order to promote employment and per capita national income," the PM stressed.
He said the investment being done in the country should be sustainable at the same time observing the required standards at national and international level in order to benefit from the arising market opportunities.
The PM also called on investors, manufacturers and traders to pay tax and keep records to enable the government have correct information of the businesses being conducted in order to prepare policies which will be useful to them Ministry of Industry and Trade should make sure that manufacturers abide by laws governing manufacturing in order to meet the required standards and utilise market opportunities through the agreements entered by the government, such as East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development (SADC) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
He also directed all councils in the country to ensure that industries in their area of jurisdiction participate in exhibitions of industrial products to explore the market in various countries.
No comments :
Post a Comment