Quality standards key to $1 trillion economy goal
DAR ES SALAAM: QUALITY products are central to boosting the competitiveness of Tanzanian exports and achieving the country’s ambition of building a one-trillion US dollar economy by 2050, the government said while launching the Africa Quality Mark (AQM).
Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade, Mr Denis Londo said over the weekend that the common certification framework will reduce the time and cost of product inspections at border posts, improve trade efficiency and strengthen implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), creating wider market opportunities for Tanzanian manufacturers.
“Product quality is not optional; it is the foundation of the competitiveness of our industries. Through the Africa Quality Mark, Tanzanian products will have greater opportunities to access African and global markets more easily,” Mr Londo said during the launch in Dar es Salaam.
The Africa Quality Mark introduced a harmonised quality certification that enables products meeting agreed standards to be recognised under a single continental mark, reducing the need for repeated inspections and certification procedures when goods move across African borders.
The initiative is expected to reduce non-tariff barriers, facilitate cross-border trade and improve the movement of goods across African markets.
It also seeks to enhance confidence among consumers, regulators and businesses by promoting a common quality assurance system recognised across the continent.
Mr Londo said the framework will enhance confidence in African-made products while enabling businesses to compete more effectively within the continent’s expanding single market under the AfCFTA.
He added that improved product quality will strengthen the competitiveness of Tanzania’s manufacturing sector and create opportunities for local industries to expand exports beyond traditional markets.
Technical Director of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), Mr Reuben Onyangero, said the certification system marks a significant step toward establishing a trusted continental quality infrastructure capable of improving the global competitiveness of products manufactured in Africa.
He said African countries should continue strengthening their national standards institutions, testing laboratories and certification systems to ensure products certified under the scheme are recognised and trusted across the continent, helping simplify intra-African trade and lowering the cost of doing business.
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) Director General Dr Ashura Katunzi said the Africa Quality Mark will enable Tanzanian products that comply with required standards to gain easier recognition across African markets, expanding export opportunities, increasing sales and supporting industrial growth.
She said TBS will continue working with local manufacturers and international stakeholders to help producers comply with the required standards and fully capitalise on opportunities created by the Africa Quality Mark and the AfCFTA.
According to Dr Katunzi, strengthening compliance with quality standards will be critical in supporting Tanzania’s industrialisation agenda, expanding regional trade and positioning locally manufactured products to compete more effectively in African and international markets.
