Zanzibar deploys electronic system to reduce cost of doing business

ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR is set to use electronic system on the issuance of industrial licenses and registration certificates for small industries that would boost efficiency and reduce the cost of doing business.

The remarks were made recently by the Director of the Industries with the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development of Zanzibar, Dr Abdulla Abdulla during a meeting with the Business Registration and Licensing Agency (BRELA) to discuss on how to implement the national law on industrial licensing and registration.

“The issuance of industrial licences and registration certificates using joint electronic system by both BRELA and the Industrial Development Department of Zanzibar is part of implementation of the national law on the issuance of industrial licences and registration for small industries,” he said.

The director noted that the implementation of the national law on the issuance of the industrial licences and registration for small industries in Zanzibar will not be different from those issued by BRELA on the Tanzania Mainland.

He said the two parties will see the modality of fees payment system that should be used to achieve the implementation of applicants for industrial licenses and registration certificates.

BRELA Chief Executive Officer Mr Godfrey Nyaisa said the meeting was a continuation of implementation of the directives of the ministries from the two sides of the Union that are the Ministry of Industry and Trade (Mainland) and the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development in Zanzibar.

“These instructions require BRELA and the Industrial Development Department of Zanzibar to discuss the use of a joint electronic system that will be used in the issuance of Industrial Licences on the part of Zanzibar and to facilitate the access to industrial data on both sides of the Union,” he said.

Mr Nyaisa expounded that in Tanzania Mainland, the National Law on Licensing and Industrial Registration is being implemented by issuing industrial licences and registration certificates that are issued to small industries despite the fact that the Law has many shortcomings for not being amended for a long time.

However, the two sides suggested that the Registrar be given the mandate of issuing industrial licences, as is the case with the issuance of small industries registration certificates and the industrial licensing, whereby the board should receive a report on the issued industrial licenses.

BRELA and the Zanzibar Industrial Development Department from the Zanzibar Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development have been meeting regularly to discuss the outdated aspects of the National Law on Licensing and Industrial Registration that was enacted in 1967.

Among other things, the Act has empowered the Industrial Licensing Board to issue industrial licenses that are outdated due to the current system of using systems that simplify the application and issuance of industrial licenses and certificates for the registration of small industries.