NATIONAL Quality Association in Tanzania (NQAT) is anticipating promoting the quality of 1000 local products to acquire international standards in the next three years.
The National Quality Association of Tanzania (NQAT), Chief Executive Officer, Mr Safari Fungo, said yesterday that during the association’s second summit in Dar es Salaam that the idea is to enable the country’s goods to meet local and international quality standards to increase their competitive edge globally.
“In three years, we expect to promote the quality of 1000 different products that will have great standards which will bring stiff competition in the foreign market,” said Mr Fungo.
Mr Fungo, told some 100 participants of the Quality Summit, that to reach the goal they will build various centres country-wide for assisting various entrepreneurs in terms of training and technics on promoting the quality of products warranting a global competitive edge.
The quality of the entrepreneurs’ goods, according to him, should also go with product branding and packaging and quality maintenance.
“The secret behind achieving these goals is uniting together regardless of our institutional background. For instance, we [NQAT] have been cooperating with the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) in the improvement of these products,” he said.
The SGA Security, Managing Director, Mr Erick Sambu, said in order for the goods to achieve international standards and match the world market, the producer must focus on producing products with high quality.
He further said the country is endowed with several goods for export from horticulture—like flowers and avocados—to minerals but their quality is still questionable in the global market.
“The mutual trade and investment relations between Tanzania and China, especially on food products including avocados, have conquered the Beijing market,” Mr Sambu said.
Trade volume between China and Tanzania, reached 6.74 billion US dollars last year, up 47.1per cent year on year, and Dar es Salaam’s exports to the Asian giant reached 606 million US dollars, up 47.3per cent year on year.
Amina Yasini, one of the Quality Summit’s Speakers said quality conscience is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.
“It includes how you provide your customer service and how you treat your employees,” Ms Yasini, a certified quality manager, said.
Ms Careen Abbas, a food spices entrepreneur, said the summit has helped her a lot in improving the quality of her products.
“This is the second time attending the meeting. My thinking of business expansion to a global level without jeopardising quality has increased tremendously,” said Ms Careen.
The Quality Summit brought together some 100 participants. NQAT is a member-based association, which acts as a national quality platform for sustainable development.
