Fruit canners unhappy with the pace of the industry
By Timothy Kitundu,
Dares Salaam
THE government has been urged to sit down with stakeholders and find out the reasons which hinder the development of the fruit canning industry.
This week in Dar es Salaam, speaking in an interview with the express, some local processors said although Tanzania has a lot of fruit throughout the year, most of it ended up unprocessed.
Musa Mwangoka from Mpanda said the quality of raw materials is substandard since we have not modernised our agriculture. He said there was a need for the farmers to improve the quality of fruit and the government to improve infrastructure.
“We do not have good facilities for transporting products from the farm to the market place”, he said.
Experts say about 40 percent of the fruit gets rotten while being transported to the market owing to poor infrastructure.
Another Processor, Idd Mnyemo from Tanga, said it is difficult to build a factory because there is not a constant enough supply of fruit to keep the factory running. Explaining, he said Tanzania does not have reliable fruit production which could keep the factory supplied on a regular basis.
“As you know we have seasonal fruits, so to build such a factory here means that we could not satisfy the demand, hence we would lose the market”, he said.
“The government and stakeholders should sit down and solve those challenges, then we can think to install a plant and many people would be attracted into the business,” he said.
Talking further about the cost of doing business in Tanzania as compared with other African countries, he said it is expensive and there is a lot of bureaucracy at the Dar es Salaam port, especially on the cargo inspection unit.
He said it could take up to two week to clear goods at the port, while in other countries the same exercise could take five days. Citing an example, he said Kenya has efficient procedures of cargo clearance, since it takes a short time and this reduces demurrage charges.
He urged the Port management and Tiscan to sit down and study the source of these problems and retain customers, so that they do not run away to secure better services in Kenya .
21st Century Textiles wins award
By The Express Reporter,
Dar es Salaam
21st Century Textiles Limited, based in Morogoro, has been awarded the President’s Manufacturer of the Year Award – 2008 for textiles and apparel category.
According to the statement made available to The Express, this is the second year in succession when the company has received such recognition.
The company has conceived a unique “Farm-to-Fabric” concept, which involves cotton growing in agricultural farms, ginning of farm product into cotton lint, and thereafter converting it into a wide range of fabrics.
The statement said, the company is currently producing 30 million metres of fabric, and is into implementing a massive expansion plan that will by mid 2009 produce 70 million metres of cotton and blended fabrics.
This shall be achieved when our technological innovations, e.g. airjet looms (in place of antiquated shuttle looms), Swiss humidification system, yarn dyeing plant etc. are operational.
It also observed that the plant is so designed that it can produce all kinds of fabrics including khanga and kitenge (the traditional women’s dress), bedsheets, grey cloth, linen, uniform drills, shirting fabric and suiting fabric.
The agricultural farm shall provide up to 23,000 metric tons of seed-cotton through 9,500 hectares of captive plantation. Additional quantity of up to 45,000 metric tons shall be procured from the open market.
The company’s expansion project incorporates two ginning plants for processing seed cotton into lint.
21st Century Textiles Limited employs 1,600 people and shall eventually increase its manpower complement to over 3,000.
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TBS comes up with ‘farm-to-table traceability
By Timothy Kitundu, Dar es Salaam
The Tanzania Bureau of Standard has come up with a standard going by the name of ‘farm to table traceability’, which will deal with heavy metals found in food especially vegetables, it has been learnt.
Speaking to this paper recently, the bureau Principal Standards Officer, Mary Meela, said the standard has already been completed and will soon be implemented.
She said the standard will compel individuals dealing with the food to adhere to the specifications, especially on heavy metal.
In the past the bureau was much concerned with industries but now it has realized that there is a problem at the farms.
According to her, the standard will trace production of vegetables from the farm to the table, in order to avoid contamination by heavy materials which harms the human body.
Research done by University College of Land, Architect and Survey in many parts of Dar es Salaam revealed that most residents are at a great risk from cancer or other pollution diseases from the industrially polluted water being used to irrigate vegetables
The research carried out by students within the organization, in many parts of the city, revealed that most of the water used in vegetable irrigation is not fit for human consumption.
Speaking to this paper, a lecturer at UCLAS, Dr. Kiunsi Robert, said research showed rivers or streams used to irrigate vegetables contain heavy metals which are harmful to humans once consumed.
Water samples analyzed for Lead, Cadmium, Copper and Chromium exceeded the discharge standards set by the TBS and WHO.
According to the research, such heavy metals are produced from industries, homes and garages. Health experts say such heavy metals in the human body can lead to a variety of diseases and to death in the long run.
The metals disturb the nervous system, have renal effects, inhibit haemoglobin formation, cause hypertension, and are carcinogenic and mutagenic
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Lack of training a major challenge to entrepreneurs
By Timothy Kitundu, Dar es Salaam
LACK of training and entrepreneurial skills have been cited as the major challenges that hinder the development of local entrepreneurs.
Speaking to this paper in an interview in Dar es Salaam this week, some local entrepreneurs called on the government to establish more training schools.
An entrepreneur, Margareth Mbutu said although some financial institutions have shown the way in supporting business, still the businessmen lack training, and loans for further development of their business are not available.
She requested financial institutions to conduct regular training seminars on entrepreneurial ethics, in order to help them to run businesses efficiently.
She said, although certain financial institutions have been supportive in marketing their products through participation at various trade fairs, they are not offering training to entrepreneurs.
She urged the financials institutions also to increase the amount of loans dished out to entrepreneurs.
For his part, Sadat Mtenge who runs organic honey products said lack of entrepreneurial knowledge is one of the leading factors in the collapse of small businesses. He said financial institutions must ensure the survival of these by providing sufficient instruction about business skills to them.
“We want to make sure that they participate fully, get contacts, increase production hence export to foreign markets and bring foreign currency to our country,” CRDB Bank Managing Director Dr. Charles Kimei said.
Dr Kimei said the bank would continue training SMEs every three months to sharpen their skills. According to him the bank has increased minimum loans made to entrepreneurs from the current Tsh. 100million to Tsh. 200million.
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GTV extends French language service
By Timothy Kitundu, Dar es Salaam
GTV continues to grow at an unprecedented rate and is set to expand its footprint into Francophone Africa in early August. The aggressive roll out is testimony to the revolutionary pay TV company’s commitment to make TV accessible to everyone.
A press release issued by AYR Dar es Salaam this week reveals that GTV continues to transform Africa’s pay TV landscape with a dynamic new French service, with channels and content specifically targeted to French speaking viewers. The new service includes tailor-made new packages designed for family TV viewing.
Channels will include African-produced content, blockbuster international series and sitcoms, kids’ entertainment, religious and educational/documentaries – all to be revealed in the planned launch in early August.
The release further indicates that GTV has made significant strides in its development since beginning a pan-African rollout in June 2007, when the company set out to revolutionise the pay TV marketplace by creating a world-class service accessible to the mainstream. This multi-language expansion into key markets is deemed the most significant development to date.
Julian McIntyre, Founder and Managing Director of GTV said, “I am extremely excited about the imminent launch of our new service. We have put high quality TV entertainment within reach of millions of households in fifteen countries in Africa already – but that’s not enough!”
“We’re changing the shape of the satellite TV market in Francophone Africa, cutting the cost but keeping the choice,” he continued. “We are making it possible to get good quality entertainment for millions of people who have never before been able to access pay-TV.
It’s a huge move for GTV, but shows the success of our service after just over a year, as we will be operating in over 30 countries by the end of 2008.”
The service will offer an entry-level package as well as a premium package, which will include up to 10 live Barclays Premier League games per week.
GTV will shortly be launching itself in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon , Cote D’Ivoire , Gabon , Senegal , Congo Brazzaville, Togo and Benin . This is an exciting move, bringing affordable entertainment to more families, with movies, music, lifestyle and children’s shows, news, religion.
GTV appoints new General Manager for Tanzania
By Timothy Kitundu, Dar es Salaam
GTV, the revolutionary satellite-based pay TV service, that has changed the face of family TV entertainment in Tanzania , is pleased to announce that Ronald Mtawali, has been appointed as General Manager for GTV Tanzania. According to GTV Dar es Salaam, Mtawali joins the GTV senior management team from Momentum Tanzania , a health plan management and medical insurance company where he had been General Manager.
His responsibilities have included overall responsibility for the organisation, operations sales management, growth, strategy mapping and implementation.
Mtawali, according to GTV, comes with a strong background in marketing, sales, operations, business and human resource development. He started his career in the hospitality industry and he then worked at Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) where he held a series of key positions. He moved to MIC Tanzania where he held a directorship.
GTV Commercial Director, Rhys Torrington, who was in Tanzania to announce the appointment, said: “We are very pleased to have Mtawali as part of our management team. His appointment demonstrates GTV’s commitment to drive continuous improvement in its quality of service.
Mtawali brings extensive operational experience and deep commitment to the role, which will enable GTV to retain its competitive edge in revolutionising pay TV service in Tanzania .” At the same time as Mtawali’s appointment, Charles Waituika, who has done an outstanding job as acting General Manager in Tanzania , is appointed as the new General Manager in GTV Kenya. Since, GTV Tanzania was launched in August 2007, there has been a huge demand for its services, this has been boosted by an increase in quality channels coupled with an opportunity to select a bouquet packed with value that best suits the customer’s need.
According to him the bank has increased minimum loans dished out to entrepreneurs from the current 100m/- to 200m/-More than 60 local entrepreneurs have been supported by both CRDB bank and NMB at the Fair this year.
Focus on country’s priorities - OECD
By Timothy Kitundu, Dar es Salaam
An international organization, OECD which is based in France has announced that increasing the effectiveness of aid means ensuring that aid helps developing countries to improve the welfare of their poorest populations.
For this reason, aid must be genuinely focused on development priorities set by these countries. At the heart of this commitment is the conviction that donors do not develop developing countries—developing countries must develop themselves.
Helen Fisher from the Media Division of the OECD announced recently through an the organizations poverty eradication report that to enable this to happen, donors and developing countries must establish genuine partnerships, in which they are jointly and mutually responsible for development results. This means making a fundamental shift in the way they do business.
Fisher said, in March 2005, senior officials from over one hundred aid-receiving countries and donor agencies met in Paris to take concrete steps to increase the effectiveness of aid. The concrete steps they agreed on are set out in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
This agreement reflects an unprecedented consensus among donor and aid recipient countries about what needs to be done to substantially improve the impact of development co-operation
She further said that In September 2008, ministers, heads of development agencies and civil society organisations from around the world will gather in Accra , Ghana for the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.
“Their common objective will be to make aid more effective in helping countries achieve their own development goals,” she said.
At Accra and in the lead up to this Forum they will be looking for ways to resolve pressing concerns, including country leadership, capacity development and the predictability of aid.
Civil society organisations from across the globe will also be lobbying for reforms in aid policies and more accountability for the use of resources. The Accra Forum will agree on an Accra Agenda for Action on a concrete set of measures designed to accelerate movement toward agreed development goals.
It will be closely followed by the UN’s International Conference on Financing for Development (Doha , Qatar , November 2008), providing the international community with a unique opportunity to improve the quality and quantity of aid.
Samsung intends to be market leader in electronics
By Timothy Kitundu, Dar es Salaam
Samsungs Electronics Limited, a firm that deals with the distribution of electronics equipment and the manufacturing of mobile sets worldwide, has embarked on an initiative whereby it wants to take over the lead in the market in electronics.
A press release forwarded to the express this week by their local representatives Scangroup Tanzania reveals that the firm intends to be major supplier and producer of electronic equipment.
For example, the release says that the sales of colour printers produced by that company has shot up tremendously, and that there is a possibility that by the end of this year, Samsung will be a market leader in sales of such printers in the world.
The company, according to the release intends to be a world leader in the sales of the said printers, whereas on the side of the market the products of that firm were leading worldwide by 28.9 per cent in the first three months of this year, slightly under HP which is currently leading by 29.3 per cent.
An international institution in the matters of research known as IDC has disclosed that Samsung is a leading firm in various places in the world including Korea .
On the side of the European Market, Samsung is above HP by 25.8 per cent where, on the market side, its products are leading by 26.1 per cent and in other parts of the world it is leading by 46.9 per cent, 6.3 per cent more than HP, whereas in Korea it is leading with 88.9 per cent.
The rising of the importance of Samsung chart in the market has been attributed largely to the high quality of its colour printers.
Research by Samsung has revealed that large size printers have a low market in Europe since many houses there are not spacious.
Before selling printers in other parts of the world, the firm focused its sales in Korea by an experiment which indicated that they were very much preferred by customers; therefore it expanded manufacturing with sales all over the world.
Expert emphasises the importance of savings
By Timothy Kitundu, Dar es Salaam
THE government has been urged to educate Tanzanians on the importance of saving and improve infrastructure especially in rural areas, in order to enable more people to access financial services. Up to the moment it is said only about 12 percent of Tanzanians do have access to financial services.
Speaking to this paper in an interview yesterday in Dar es Salaam , a financial expert, Frank Maeda, said at the moment many people in Tanzania and other developing countries do not understand the importance of saving money through financial institutions.
He said the 12 percent could increase if the government and other stakeholders could engage in an intensive campaign to educate people on the role of saving.
Only an estimated 10 percent of the 2.5 million people who live on less than USD 2 a day have access to the basic financial tools that help people manage life’s risks, and take advantage of life’sopportunities.
For the vast majority of the world’s poor, lack of financial services makes it even harder to meet day-to-day needs and escape the vicious cycle of poverty.
Maeda who is also the head of SME banking at the Standard Chartered Bank said the government should improve infrastructure services especially in rural areas, which will enable banks to serve rural dwellers.
“Despite significant investment and growth in microfinance over the past decades, demand still far outstrips supply. There are not enough financial institutions that are focused on and able to effectively serve the poor in rural areas, due to poor infrastructure network,” he said.
He said, it is believed that poor people, like all people, need access to a range of financial products—not only credit but safe places to save, insurance, money transfers, pensions, and payment solutions. There is much more work to be done, and we believe that we are well positioned to help do it.
In a move to enhance the saving culture, the bank has been conducting promotions and opening new branches countrywide.
Recently the bank awarded two customers who emerged winners in its campaign named “ live it up”. .Speaking during the event, the bank’s head of consumer banking, Ralph Watungwa, named the SME winner as Anderson Africa Adventure, who is entitled to the latest laptop computer, while the winner under the individual account category was Justa Kwipisa, who is entitled to a mobile phone.
The live it up campaign according to Watungwa is geared towards enabling customers, both SME and individual account holders to enhance their business.
By Amiry Ismailly, Kiomboi
The Rural Financial Service Programme in the Central Zone has managed to give loans amounting to Tsh 159,692,000 to 724 members of 11 SACCOSs in Iramba district, since being established in 2005.
This was stated by Vice-Chairman of Iramba district council Paulo Mpazi, when presenting an implementation report to the public at Local Government Day celebrations, held in Kiomboi municipality.
Mpazi emphasized that 724 members of 11 SACCOSs have received loans worth a total of Tsh 159,692,000 under the RFSP since the project began.
Mpazi, who is a Nkinto ward councilor, said the SACCOS in Iramba district have in addition been loaned Tsh 105,100,000 from the district council’s fund via the women’s and youth fund.
According to the Vice-Chairman the cooperative sector, which has 39 registered cooperative societies, out of which 25 are SACCOSs, already have been given training on how to run them.
Training comprised book-keeping accounts, entrepreneurship, business skills, leadership, as well as being offered training tours in Kilimanjaro and Dodoma regions.
Moreover, Mpazi added, the supervision and inspection of 20 cooperative societies has been carried out and the inspection of other cooperative societies is in progress.
Speaking on revenue collection for the district council, Mpazi said that during the financial year 2007/2008 the council collected a total of Tsh 500,288,541 from its various sources of revenue.
He also made it public that during the same period the council received Tsh 9,233,245,397 from the central government, and Tsh 1,936,984,043. 45 from various development stakeholders, making collected revenues amount to Tsh 11,670,517,981.40.
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