Monday, December 31, 2007

The Significance of Introducing an Award to the Best/bad Manufacturer of the year in Tanzania Market

By Bernard Kihiyo


Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) would like to introduce Annual award to the best and bad manufacturer, supplier, importer, operator and service provider of the year in accordance to the standard and needs of Tanzania consumers.
This Annual award will create greater possibilities for using corporate social responsibility (CSR) and business best practise frameworks to promote greater private sector interest in consumers’ protection.

The award will give feedback to businesses on their conducts from Tanzania communities especially from consumers. The goal is to work toward consumers to have good quality products and the best deal on value for money.

The Annual Award will involve strong consumers’ participation in a more transparency ways on selecting the best and bad company of their choice through postal mails, e-mails, text messages, participatory radio and television shows. The award will demonstrate genuine levels of transparency, ethical behaviour and stakeholder engagement in Tanzania market.

Significance of the award
It is claimed that more than 80% of consumers in Tanzanian suffer from lack of understanding of consumers’ rights. They remain vulnerable to unscrupulous traders, consumers have got no ability to claim for their rights and they don’t have a formidable platform that could make their voices’ heard.

This annual competition will bring the attention of businesses; that consumers are watching companies’ activities, actions and behaviours on how best they could serve for consumers’ interests and needs. Consumers’ opinions on the way businesses are behaving this is one way of making their voices to be heard and the award will empower Tanzania consumers to a great extent.

This is to say, this competition will catalyse businesses to invest in broader social values whose benefits go beyond profit. For businesses to flourish there must be symbiotic relationship between supply and demand side. The award is one way of empowerment of consumers and on the other hand strengthening business environment for Tanzania (BEST project) especially on the demand side.

What’s there to gain to companies?
There are good reasons why all companies have to work to embrace social responsibility and business best practice, because it can reap real rewards that help the company to prosper, for instance;-
A company’s ability to attract and maintain a customer base depends on it being able to offer attractive and relevant products backed by excellent customer services. It is essential for a company to demonstrate that it places a strong emphasis on customers throughout its core activities.

It is no longer enough to argue that businesses contribute to society simply by creating jobs and wealth, a business can only sustain its credibility if it has clear a ‘licence to operate’ from the local community by adherence of societal consumers’ needs and interest.

Increasingly, a company’s performance as a responsible business is key to its stock market standing, helping to protect it from instability and share price fluctuations. Investors are becoming more concerned to invest in company’s that act with social responsibility.

Transparency and a commitment to responsible business could give a company an advantage in securing public contracts.

One way to build a better relationship with customers and can help to increase efficiency because of the feedback that companies are going to get from their consumers. if this is used in the best constructive ways it is going to increase efficiency in the company

What’s there to gain to Tanzania consumers?
The voice of consumers will be heard
Consumers will be supplied with good quality goods and services which adhere to standards and quantity and measurements.

Consumers are going to be treated fairly with business; in the due cause their rights are going to be protected.

Consumers’ needs, interests and expectation will be respected by business as majority of companies can respect the integrity of a customer’s expectations by being transparent in all their activities.

Informed consumers have an essential role in promoting consumption that is environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, including through the effects of their choices on producers.
The award aims on boosting
Sustainable consumption includes meeting the needs of present and future generations for goods and services in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Responsibility for sustainable consumption is shared by all members and organizations of society, with informed consumers, Government, business, labour organizations, and consumer and environmental organizations playing particularly important roles.

Promoting sustainable consumption through the design, production and distribution of goods and services

Promoting public participation and debate on sustainable consumption, for getting feedback from consumers, and share and inform consumers on the out-come

Raise consumers’ awareness of the impact of sustainable consumption patterns and promotion of sector-specific environmental-management best practices.

Promotion on the use of products and services that are safe and energy and resource efficient, considering their full life-cycle impacts and national and international safety standards for products and services.

Promote awareness of the health-related benefits of sustainable consumption and production patterns, bearing in mind both direct effects on individual health and collective effects through environmental protection.

Discourage unsustainable practices and incentives for more sustainable practices, while avoiding potential negative effects for market access.

What is the award going to monitor?
The award will monitor on how business provides it customers with the highest quality products and services consistent with their requirements and expectations.

How business is treating its customers fairly and ensures that their health and safety is properly protected

The award will monitor on how manufactured goods meet reasonable demands of durability, utility and reliability, and are suited to the purpose for which they are intended. Similar approach will be applied to the provision of services.

The award will monitor how manufacturers and/or retailers provide and ensure adequate availability of reliable after-sales service and spare parts

The award will monitor how business adheres to fair and effective competition in order to provide consumers with the greatest range of choice among products and services at the lowest cost.

The award will monitor how business provides necessary information to enable consumers to take informed and independent decisions, as well as make sure that the information provided is accurate and how business is allowing free flow of accurate information on all aspects of consumer products.

The award will monitor how business adheres to marketing and sales practices that are guided by the principle of fair treatment of consumers and how they meet legal requirements.

The award will monitor how business adheres to weights and measuring equipment and instruments in the areas of mass, length, volume, energy and temperature.

The award will monitor how companies adhere to government’s policies that enable consumers to obtain optimum benefit from their economic resources.

The award will monitor how business achieves the goals of satisfactory production and performance standards, adequate distribution methods, fair business practices, informative marketing and effective protection against practices which could adversely affect the economic interests of consumers and the exercise of choice in the market place.

The award will monitor how business promotes healthy competition as a key component of the business environment and it can be an effective way to spread best practice in the field of responsible business.

The award will monitor how business are ensuring that manufacturer, distributor and others involved in the provision of goods and services adhere to established laws and mandatory standards.

The award will monitor how business promotes research on consumer behaviour related to environmental damage in order to identify ways to make consumption patterns more sustainable.

The award will monitor how business gives customer service and consultation that benefit company and customers alike.

The award will monitor how business behaves responsibly and aware of its impact on society beyond profit, does it has a better track record in maintaining environment.

The award will monitor relationship business it has with supplier, are the suppliers practices respect human dignity. This becomes important, as companies have to be held more and more responsible for the practices of their suppliers and sub-contractors.

Any interested part; kindly get in touch with us through this email; consumeradvocacytz@yahoo.co.uk

The Author is
Executive Director
Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Women Empowerment on Consumerism in Tanzania

By Bernard Kihiyo

Empowerment refers as giving to somebody the strength and confidence to act on their own initiative like having the ability to make choices. The opposite of empowerment is disempowerment therefore to be disempowered implies to be denied choice.

Consumerism is the theory that advocates for promotion and protection of consumers’ needs and interests, therefore it is right to say consumerism is the key to citizen economic empowerment of poor and vulnerable consumers in any civilised and fair society.

Tanzania National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of poverty (NSGRP); aim on improvement of the quality of life and social well-being, with particular focus on the poorest and most vulnerable groups improved (e.g. education, survival, health) across geographic, income, age, gender and other groups are reduced. But the way I see it this is going to be a cumbersome task without incorporating philosophy of consumerism.

In the due cause this article will focus on the issue of women’s empowerment in the context of their powerlessness on protecting and promotion of their consumers’ rights, needs and interests (consumerism).

Women consumers’ rights violation can be viewed in the power relations that govern how consumers’ basic needs (goods and services) – are distributed and delivered in a society. These relations, position poor men and women as subordinate to, and dependent on, those with privileged access to these basic needs;- these includes politicians, manufacturers, producers, importers, distributors, service providers of goods and services in our economies.

However this power relation is likely to affect women and men differently because gender-related inequalities often intensify the effects of consumer rights violation. The most difficulty questions are;-
Ø Are women able to make key decisions about matters relating to sustainable consumerism on their own well-being, their children and the whole community?
Ø Do they have any influence on consumers’ matters relating to the community and society in which they live and is this influence decisive or merely symbolic?
Ø Are businesses entities and service providers do respect women’s values, dignity, needs and interests in the society?

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) had conducted a survey in five regions in April.2007 to know the magnitude of consumers’ awareness on their rights and the degree business accountability and responsiveness to consumers’ needs and interests in Tanzania.

In this survey, 3000 respondents were interviewed; whereby each group, men and women had 1500 respondents. The survey revealed that; out of all women respondents 1406 women showed to experience serious violation of their consumers’ rights while their male counterparts only 1139 responded to be deprived on their consumers’ rights in several ways.

The figure for women deprivation is shocking as it appears to be 93.7% of all women interviewed and 75.9% of all men interviewed. Therefore, based on this survey results; one can hypothesize that women are the most marginalised and unaware consumers group of all in Tanzania

Reasons for women victimization on acquiring their consumers’ right learnt to be low understanding of consumer’s rights and consumer’s education, lack of adequate food due to food poverty, lack of clean water, in some cases distance, inadequate and poor health service including reproductive health services and information, some complained to share bed during delivery, unsafe motherhood, attended with unskilled service providers, poor child health care.

Worse still respondents complained on; denial of right of an individual to make autonomous choice on services, lack of reliable consumer information, presence of consumer confusion due to misleading advertisement and in a lot of instances women are traditionally been excluded from family cash economy.

Moreover this survey revealed that; out of 688 respondents identified not having formal education 68% (N-340) are women and 32% (N-248) are men – reasons for women backwardness on education appeared to be early marriage as a result higher percentage of girls drop out of school compared to boys.

Other reasons being; poverty, old fashioned African customs and taboos that favour for male dominance in homes and community with lower sharing of decision-making with female partners. Female members of the household especial school girls are experiencing gender inequalities on doing domestic works instead of school works as compared to boys.

Consumers should be instructed in the proper use of goods and should be informed of the risks involved in intended or normally foreseeable use. Vital safety information on public services, provision of good quality services such as reproductive health which end up on safe motherhood free from pain, child care, more emphasis on foods safety and handling, healthy food and diet, clean and safe water, safe domestic appliances and other general consumer education should be clearly conveyed to consumers; especially female consumers for guaranteed family welfare.

Efforts should encouraged consumers especially female to monitor adverse practices, such as the adulteration of foods, false or misleading claims in marketing and service frauds in the effort of promoting and protecting their consumer rights.

There is considerable evidence that; access to consumer education helps on empowerment of consumers on protecting and promoting their consumers’ rights. Educating girls and women on consumer education in Tanzania will help on improving family economic well-being, open economic opportunities and social transformation. Educated women on consumerism were found to have more influence and power in bargaining on spending household income than those who are not.

In TCAS there will be consumers’ clubs for youths, manufacturers, producers, farmers, as well as women. Each club will discuss the role it plays in consumerism, however in women club education and discuss on how to raise women awareness and empowerment on their consumers’ rights will be emphasised at community and national level.

Through these clubs consumer education programs will be given to boost consumer awareness and creates more informed buying decisions, and hence empowering consumers on claiming for redress like filing, and winning, complaints of any abusive business practices.

The chairman of Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society; Mr Daimon Mwakyembe is calling upon all national and international consumers associations, sectoral regulatory authorities, government ministries, human rights activists, NGOs to form a strong Consumers Private Public Partnership (CPPP) as a group of Voluntary Observers in Interest of Consumer Empowerment (VOICE) in Tanzania. VOICE will raise awareness, provide credible information, and act as watchdogs, to support responsible and sustainable consumerism. Any interested part kindly get in touch with us through this email; consumeradvocacytz@yahoo.co.uk

The Author is
Executive Director
Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society

Global consumer movement announces winners of International Bad Product Awards



Consumers International;Press Release.


Coco-cola, Kellogg’s, Mattel and Takeda Pharmaceuticals top list of international brands guilty of abusing consumer rights.

The world federation of consumer organisations, Consumers International (CI) today announced the winners of the International Bad Product Awards, to be presented at CI’s World Congress in Sydney, Australia, 29 Oct – 1 November 2007.

The awards aim to highlight failings of corporate responsibility and the abuse of consumer trust by internationally recognised brands. The announcement comes as 400 delegates from national consumer organisations and governments, convene in Sydney to attend CI’s World Congress.

This year’s winners* are:

Coca-Cola – for continuing the international marketing of its bottled water, Dasani, despite admitting it comes from the same sources as local tap water.

Kellogg’s – for the worldwide use of cartoon-type characters and product tie-ins aimed at children, despite high levels of sugar and salt in their food products.

Mattel – for stonewalling US congressional investigations and avoiding overall responsibility for the global recall of 21 million products

With the overall prize going to:

Takeda Pharmaceuticals – for taking advantage of poor US regulation and advertising sleeping pills to children, despite health warnings about paediatric use

Richard Lloyd, Director General of Consumers International, said:
“These multi-billion dollar companies are global brands with a responsibility to be honest, accountable and responsible. In highlighting their short-comings Consumers International and its 220 member organisations are holding corporations to account and demanding businesses take social responsibility seriously ”

*Full details of each nomination can be found in the accompanying CI Press briefing, which can also be downloaded here

Note to Editors

Consumers International (CI) is the only independent global campaigning voice for consumers. With over 220 member organisations in 115 countries, we are building a powerful international consumer movement to help protect and empower consumers everywhere. For more information, visit www.consumersinternational.org

2. The International Bad Product nominations were submitted by CI member organisations and CI expert staff. The final four, including the overall winner, were chosen by the CI Secretariat and are detailed below. Criteria for final selection included the size of the company, the global scale of sales and marketing, the direct impact on consumers, and the potential actionable change by the corporation.

For more information and to arrange interviews, please contact Luke Upchurch +44 796 894 9327 lupchurch@consint.org


Efforts by Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society is just a copy of what CI is doing

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) would like to introduce Annual award to the best and bad manufacturer, supplier, and importer, operator of the year in accordance to the standard, feedback and opinions of Tanzania consumers, the award will give feedback to businesses on their business conducts from Tanzania.

This Annual Award aims on looking for companies to take a triple bottom line approach to their performance, sensitive to standards, quality, environment, as well as economic impact of their operations.
This Award will keenly watch how businesses are applying responsive business practice that can create value chain for the betterment of consumers and that would help a firm to become more cost efficient, accountable and responsive to consumers’ needs and interests.

For more information please contact Bernard Kihiyo +255 732 991 409 consumeradvocacytz@yahoo.co.uk

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Walaji Wengi Hawajui Haki zao

Consumers' rights defined in Swahili

Pata elimu ya kuzijua haki zako kama mlaji kupitia link hii hapa chini.

http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/nipashe/2007/12/07/103811.html

Lobby Wants Law on Insurance Cover for Consumers

By Guardian Reporter

The government has been urged to enact a law that will ensure that all businesses have insurance covers for their consumers.
Speaking to this paper during an interview, Bernard Kihiyo, who is the Executive Director of the Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) said insurance services were needed in the Tanzania market more now than any other time before, as most businesses were insisting on applying best practices to accommodate global economy.
He said more policies and regulations were required to cover majority of the consumers with the right compensation schemes. He also insisted on consumer education as an important part of the process and as a basic consumer right that must be insisted to the general public and introduced at school and college levels.
``We believe this campaign will increase consumers` understanding on their rights and will build their ability to claim for their rights,`` he said.
On the other hand, effort would make their voices to be heard, and because there will be high awareness amongst consumers these would facilitate accountability and responsiveness to their needs and interests.
He said education is a life long process of constantly acquiring relevant information, knowledge and skills. ``Consumer education is an important part of this process and is a basic consumer right that must be insisted to the general public and introduced at the school and college level,`` Kihiyo said.
He said they believe the campaign would increase the consumer`s understanding on their rights and build their abilities to claim for their rights. He revealed that TCAS intended to introduce annual award to the best manufacturer, supplier and importer operator in accordance with the standards and opinions of the consumers.
Kihiyo said, the awards would give back to businesses from the community especially from consumers on their business conducts.
He said the award would aim at looking for firms to take a triple bottom line approach to their performance, sensitivity to standards, quality, environment as well as the economic impact of their operations.
The givers of the award would keenly watch how firms apply responsive business practice that create value chains for the betterment of consumers and that would help the firm to become more cost efficient, accountable and responsive to consumers` needs and interests.
SOURCE: Guardian of 13th.Dec.2007

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Govt Subsidies Is One Way of Strengthening Consumers’ Right to Access to Basic Services

By Bernard Kihiyo

Former US President John F. Kennedy defined ‘’consumer’’ as ‘’all of us’’; he went further by saying consumers are the largest economic group, affecting and affected by almost every public and private economic decision. Yet they are the only important group... whose views are often not heard.’'

Recently Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) announced to raise connection charges by 100% and tariff by 40% reason behind this move is the decision by the government to stop giving subsidies to TANESCO. TANESCO is now required by the government to operate as a business entity. If the government decides to stop giving subsidies to TANESCO there is no other way TANESCO can do than to shift the burden to the consumers, let us stop politicising on this.

But this is a bit funny as I do believe that the first priority of all governments is to provide safe and affordable utilities services to the poorest consumers, services such as electricity, drinking and wastewater services must be available to all consumers at affordable price rates. In 2001, 36% of people in Tanzania lived below the national poverty line. (Household Budget Survey report, NBS, 2002), the average national income (GNI) was US$340 per person. It is against this background that; government efforts should focus on assisting these poor Tanzanians consumers.

Tanzania consumers expect the government to;-
Ø Raise and provide investment for network expansion where needed. That will increase access to a water and electric supply from a household connection, a public standpipe and street lights.

Ø Ensure that consumers have adequate to meet basic human needs, every person must have access to 20 to 50 litres of safe water every day and electricity lifeline of 50 to 75kwh per month:

Ø Ensure that supply of water and electricity which is safe, sufficient, regular, convenient, and available at an affordable price through its’ regulatory agencies like Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority (EWURA) in this case.

Ø Utility distribution must be subject to strict regulation — even more so given the vital resource it provides utility sector reforms must be assessed from the vantage point of consumer protection — and can be improved by the promotion of water and electricity as consumers’ right.

Ø Stop all bad financial management, corrupt contracts, low funding/investment, arbitrary political interference like Tanga cement scandal and Idrisa Rashid’s resignation from directorship, little or no independent regulation and a lack of civil society consultation.

Ø Guarantee a framework that takes into account all stakeholders like consumers, not just investors.

Ø Develop a democratic framework for management and scrutiny of the utility industry by provide regulatory control for such matters as tariff-setting and awarding of contracts.

Ø Public interest should take precedence over corporate profit irrespective of ownership.

Ø Finance of any sort must enable universal access, not be an excuse for excluding the poor.

Ø To picks up the historic role to construct and extend the network, or new customers can be paid for by cross-subsidy paid by existing consumers.

Above all; there are about ten basic consumers’ right but for today’s discussion we are going to refer only one; the right to satisfaction of basic needs; this means having access to basic, essential goods and services; adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.

These are indisputable needs; no matter the financial capability, no consumer should be excluded from access to essential goods and services for reasons of poverty. water and electricity is valued as a community asset to be protected from capture by economic elites.

Consumers are the main stakeholders in the paradigm clash between water/electricity as human right and water/electricity as essential economic good, but the tools of consumers’ rights and protection have been largely missing from the ring.

If the government decides to stop giving subsidies to these essential services to the public, how can the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty (NSGRP) been achieved?

In this Tanzania government’s document (NSGRP) Cluster II aims on Improvement of quality of life and social well-being the strategy set the broad outcomes of improving the quality of life and social well-being, with particular focus on the poorest and most vulnerable groups that aim to amongst other things; public to have access to clean, affordable and safe water, sanitation, decent shelter and a safe and sustainable environment and thereby, reduced vulnerability from environmental risk.

Moreover NSGRP aims on provision of adequate social protection and of basic needs and services for the vulnerable and needy and lastly to provide effective systems to ensure universal access to quality and affordable public services.

In connection with the above; efforts will be stepped up to reduce the proportion of the rural population below the basic needs poverty line from 38.6 percent in 2000/01 to 24 percent by 2010.

Economic elites should not be allowed to capture the agenda and misdirect the government to stop doing its’ core duties to its citizens. It has to be strongly noted that government subsidies is one way of strengthening consumers’ right to access to basic services. Our fellow European countries are giving subsidies to cows up to 5 USD per day per cow; let alone these essential public services.

Whether it is the government internal policy or external pressure, the government should not stop giving subsidies on public health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.

The Author is
The Executive Director of
Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society
With the Help from Consumers International

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Consumers’ Advice to Tanzania Minister of Health and Lawmakers

By Bernard Kihiyo

At the 60th World Health Assembly held between 14 and 19 May 2007, member governments agreed an important new resolution on the rational use of medicines.

The resolution included a call on all member governments:

‘to enact new, or enforce existing, legislation to ban inaccurate, misleading or unethical promotion of medicines, to monitor drug promotion, and to develop and implement programmes that will provide independent, non-promotional information on medicines;’

Drug companies are moneymaking corporations just like any other; they exist to create a profit. The overarching aim of corporate drug promotion, therefore, is to increase profits by raising consumer demand for pharmaceutical products.

Whilst the pharmaceutical industry clearly has an important role to play in tackling the health challenges facing Tanzania, their involvement in the promotion of medicines presents a serious conflict of interest.

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) believes this is a vitally important area for the safety of health service users (consumers). We would be very interested to hear how the government is planning to put the WHO resolution into practice.

The Mission of our organization is to provide advocacy platform that would make consumers voices heard, raise consumer’s awareness on their rights (in this case health related rights), build consumer’s ability to claim for their rights and make markets (in this case pharmaceutical industry) accountable and more responsive to consumer’s needs and interests.

Tanzania market has been flooded with unreliable pharmaceutical with plenty of counterfeit, expired and unregistered drugs worse still those who are involved on running most of local pharmacies and medical stores are lacking essential professional skills in running this business.

It is beyond reasonable doubt that most of us we have seen complex medical cases of alleged negligence by way of consultation, diagnosis, cross infection and treatment, both medicinal and surgical that led to severe suffering of service recipient, and in some instance death.

It should be strongly noted that all health professionals who are providing their services based on knowledge, skill and experience but the deficiency or negligence while providing these services can’t be exempted from consumer’s damages, suffering or death. Consumers and their families have to be well compensated if in case of these sort of professional misconducts happen.

It is equally important that health professionals are held responsible due to their professional negligence. Kindly this is a wake-up call to you honourable minister of health and our lawmakers; you have to do something tangible for the betterment of Tanzania consumers.

Executive Director of TCAS
With the Support of Consumers International (CI)

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

THERE IS VERY LOW CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN TANZANIA - CONSUMER SURVEY REVEALED.


By Bernard Kihiyo
Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society had conducted a Consumer Survey that revealed the level of consumer awareness in Tanzania particularly on consumers’ rights, perception and attitudes with respect to businesses’ accountability and responsiveness to consumers’ needs and interests in Tanzania.

This survey was conducted in five regions in Tanzania Mainland - Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Coastal Region, and Mwanza between 1st February 2007 and 27th February 2007.

There is very low Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Tanzania Consumer survey revealed.

Corporate Social Responsibility can be defined as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically responsive and accountable to consumers’ needs and interests. This concept generally entails about how companies manage the business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society.

About 3000 Respondents were asked to mention five unfair business practices they experienced for the past 12 months. The information received was of diverse in nature; therefore the report here is not sequentially arranged, what appears down below is randomly picked of the most common severe forms of consumer rights violation by businesses found in Tanzania market;-

The survey revealed that there is poor public transportation system which is characterised by: congestion and delays; uncomfortable travelling conditions; poor vehicle condition; poor customer services; increased road accidents.

Moreover the survey revealed that there is wrong over estimated, inflated bills from Tanzania National Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), and water bodies. The two are giving unreliable services, and their services are characterized with frequent service breakdown in most case without notice, unregulated electric frequency, un-guaranteed water supply, poor quality of water which leads to the spread of water born diseases like typhoid and cholera.

And in most cases there is none or slow action towards genuine complaints- over inflated bills, poor products, professional misconduct and delay on installation of service on water and power.

On the other hand; the market is full of cheating on weights and measurements; there is a lot of under-weights of goods from retail shops, butchery, hardware-cement etc and also there is poor calibration and adulteration for food like cow milk and gasoline at fuel station.

Presence of counterfeit goods which are not durable, poor in quality, unsafe, false labelling and changing of expiry date on products- food, cosmetics and medicine is on the raise. It is believed that 40% of the products in Tanzania markets are counterfeits.

Other notified forms of unethical business conducts such are;- claiming that products are new while they are not- like some of mobile phones on sale in most of the shops in Tanzania. Businesses are claiming that a product comes with warranty while it does not.
There is also poor and unhygienic food handling; also failure of some of suppliers to honour contracts is common unethical business practice in Tanzania market.

Some business are making false claims about a product for instance claiming that goods are from a certain country say England or Japan while they are not most; commonly goods like;-electrical items, domestic appliances and clothes .- it appears that these goods are pre-packed.

Claiming that the product prices have been discounted while they have not, claiming that there are enough stock of goods while it’s not hence creating an artificial shortage all of these unethical business conducts were identified during this survey.

Worse still some business are representing that a service, part, repair or replacement is needed or that a service has been provided, a part has been installed, a repair has been made or a replacement has been provided- automobile repair. Saying that there are facilities where a consumer can go to get his items repaired while there is none. This is cheating and it is against the law.

Charging a price for goods or services that is substantially higher than an estimate provided to the consumer, except where the consumer has expressly agreed to the higher price in advance this is happening especially to the transport operators.

The survey revealed that in some cases human and animal drugs dispensed and managed with unprofessional personnel this is very dangerous to the health of consumers.

The survey also revealed that there are unjustifiable excessive high prices of goods and services in Tanzania market for instance early this year consumers have experienced a sudden hike in the prices of petrol and petroleum products announced by major petroleum; it appears dealers of oil companies are forming a cartel to fix prices in order exploit consumers.
This rise in oil prices necessitated price rise of several essential goods like sugar, maize flour, rice, cooking oil and the like for more than 50% price increament for the past 12 months.

The worst scenario of the situation can be viewed on the following;- Health Care with the concept of CSR; 1829 respondents have seen complex medical cases of alleged negligence by the way of consultation, diagnosis and treatment, cross infection, both medicinal and surgical that led to severe suffering of service recipient like the recent MOI theatre scandal and in some instance death occurred. The most difficulty question is how far should medical/pharmaceutical practitioners be held responsible due to their professional negligence?

Transport and Transportation with the concept of CSR; 1279 Respondents complained on the sharp increase on road accident, last year alone - 2006 more than 2838 people had died due to road accidents, let alone 15,500 others left with permanent disabilities and without forgetting those who lost their properties.

In most cases accident are caused by operators' negligence like; - operating with un-serviced cars, drivers’ negligence, operating without having proper insurances to cover customers and their properties. The most difficulty question is how far should transport operators be held responsible due to their professional negligence?

Public Utility - Water with the concept of CSR; 1705 Respondents commented on unreliable supply water and in some cases the quality of water supplied by regional water authorities is untreated which result to the spread of water born diseases when used for domestic uses. This resulted to consumers’ suffering due to stomach illness which lead to raise of unnecessary hospital bills and sometimes death. How can the regional water Authorities been held responsible if consumers end up having untreated water that gives water born diseases such as cholera and typhoid?.

Public Utility - Electricity with the concept of CSR; 932 Respondents commented on Tanzania National Electric Supply Company Ltd (TANESCO) with power distribution monopoly, in some instances supplies power with unregulated voltage which is characterized with frequent power breakout. Due to this customers are experiencing big loss of profit, huge damages of their electrical items, their properties caught up by fire. On worst scenario several are killed as a result of electrical fault.

This appears to be nobody's business, customers continued to suffer, the most difficulty question is how far should TANESCO be held accountable due to their professional negligence that cause severe suffering to their customers?

General Business with the concept of CSR; 781 respondents said Tanzania market has been flooded with more than 40% counterfeit products like electric goods, cloths, auto parts, characterized with low consumer’s safety, hazardous products and products adulteration. The consumers are risking their lives and are getting big loses due to these products on some instance with very limited products traceability. The most difficulty question is who is allowing these products to cross our boarders?

In case to a situation like this; who is to be held responsible - the government, Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), business, importer or the regulators – Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA), Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority (EWURA), Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), or Tanzania Communication Commission Authority (TCCA)?

84.7% of respondents belive that there is very low level of corporte social responsibility in Tanzania as a result of a sharp increase of consumer’s rights violations. The situation is a result of consumer’s lack of understanding on their Consumer’s Rights. Consumers continued to suffer while businesses are making super profit out of consumer’s unwareness and ignorance.
Based on the report by the commissioner for Large Taxpayers Department (LTD) under Tanzania Revenue Authority for fiscal year 2005/06 it shows only 0.03% (370) tax payers were contributed about 38% of total Tanzania Revenue (2.0 trillion) collected. This shows that there are very few people who are extremely rich while majority are still living below poverty line
It is high time for the lawmakers to look into these lines; and see what they can do to protect these innocent consumers from professional misconducts. Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society TCAS intends to conduct a seminar with Members of Parliament in near future to lobby on these matters.
It should be strongly noted that all professionals who are providing their services based on knowledge, skill and experience but the deficiency or negligence while providing these services can’t be exempted from consumer’s damages, suffering or death. Consumer has to be well compensated in case of any professional misconduct.
To make the market accountable TCAS would like to establish Consumer Private and Public Partnership (CPPP) that will allow all players to air out its needs and interests and find areas where we can strike a balance for instance TCAS will fight for establishment of consumers/producers/importers clubs all over the country.

Moreover TCAS will introduce Annual award to the best manufacturer, supplier, importer, and operator in accordance to the standard and opinions of Tanzania consumers, the award will give feedback to businesses on their business conducts from Tanzania communities especially from consumers.

This Annual Award aims on looking for companies to take a triple bottom line approach to their performance, sensitive to standards, quality, environment, as well as economic impact of their operations. This Award will keenly watch how businesses are applying responsive business practice that can create value chain for the betterment of consumers and that would help a firm to become more cost efficient, accountable and responsive to consumers’ needs and interests.

The Author is Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society’s Executive Director

Monday, December 3, 2007

Lobby Group Reveals Blatant Consumers` Rights Abuse

The Guardian of 2007-11-28 08:42:03

By Felix Andrew

The level of consumers` rights awareness in Tanzania is awfully low, according to the latest survey.

The Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) Executive Director Bernard Kihiyo said over the weekend that the study has exposed that consumers` perception and attitudes with respect to businesses` accountability and responsiveness to consumers` needs and interests in Tanzania is almost near to the ground.

The survey was conducted in five regions on Mainland Tanzania namely Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Coast and Mwanza Regions in February this year.

About 3,000 respondents were asked to mention five unfair business practices they experienced for the past twelve months.

The survey revealed over 80 per cent of respondents lamented about prevalence of poor public transportation system which is characterised by congestion and delays, uncomfortable travelling conditions, poor vehicle conditions, poor customer services and increased road accidents.

Moreover, the survey reveals electricity consumers are getting raw deal from power and water utilities through inflated bills and unreliable service provision.

In particular, respondents expressed fears that habitual provision of dirty water was responsible for frequents outbreaks of water-borne diseases like typhoid and cholera.

At the same time, producers and suppliers are accused by the survey as being adamant in addressing genuine complaints related to say inflated bills, poor products and professional misconduct.

On the other hand, about 85 per cent said the market is rife with cheaters on weights and measurements in provision stores, butchery and hardware shops.

The other most regular form of unethical business conduct uncovered by the survey was deceitful declaration that certain brands are new, while in fact are second-hand or at times fakes. Most electronic gadgets fall under this category.


The study has also discovered that warranties declared on most products are not valid, while poor and unhygienic food handling was also rampant.

Because of blatant violation of consumer rights, TCAS intends to organize a seminar with Members of Parliament in the near future to lobby for serious legal considerations over consumer rights issues, he explained.

TCAS view that consumers as innocent economic agents that need protection, and when damage was inflicted on them, they deserve compensation as well.
· SOURCE: Guardian

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Bidhaa feki: wananchi waelimishwe wazikatae

Nipashe; 2007-09-21 09:03:16

Na FELIX ANDREW

Tatizo la bidhaa feki huenda likapungua iwapo wananchi wataelimishwa kuhusu haki zao, madhara ya bidhaa hizo, na serikali kuweka ulinzi wa kutosha kuzuia uingizaji wake.

Tangu kuruhusu soko huria mnamo miaka ya 80 nchi yetu imejikuta katika matatizo makubwa sana ambayo endapo hayatashughulikiwa yanaweza kulipeleka pabaya taifa ,kiuchumi, kiafya na kiutamaduni.

Moja ya tatizo kubwa linalotokana na mfumo wa soko huria ni uingizaji wa bidhaa feki ambao umekuwa unaongezeka kila siku.

Kwa sasa Tanzania imegeuka kuwa soko la bidhaa hizo, kwa kutokujua wananchi wameendelea kununua bidhaa hizo ambazo zina kiwango cha chini, na nyingine zina athari kwa afya zao.

Baada ya kelele kutoka kwa wadau mbalimbali serikali imeamka, na kuanza kuchukua hatua kadhaa ili kuondokana na tatizo hilo

Akizungumza na waandishi wa Habari Jijini Dar es Salaam hivi karibuni, Waziri wa Viwanda, Biashara na Masoko, Basil Mramba, alisema tayari serikali kwa kupitia idara zake mbalimbali imeanza kukamata bidhaa `feki` zinazoingizwa nchini toka nje, zikiwemo dawa na vyakula.

Amewataka wananchi kutokimbilia bidhaa za nje ambazo bei zake ni rahisi, kwani hazina ubora unaotakiwa na ni hatari kwa afya zao.

Alisema kwa kawaida bidhaa hizo, hazionyeshi mtengenezaji ni nani, mbali na kuwa na maandishi ya kujisifu.

`Ninawatahadharisha wananchi wanaponunua bidhaa mbalimbali wawe waangalifu, wasivutiwe na bei nzuri tu, lakini wajue wanaumizwa, wanalanguliwa, wanatapeliwa na wanaziweka rehani afya zao,`alisema waziri Mramba.

Bw. Mramba alisema, bidhaa feki ni hatari kwa maisha na uchumi wa nchi kwa kuwa zinaharibu soko la bidhaa za ndani.

Alitoa mfano, kuwa tairi feki za magari zinaweza kusababisha ajali kwa kuwa zinapasuka muda wo wote wakati gari ikiwa barabarani.

Baadhi ya bidhaa feki zinazolalamikiwa ni pamoja na dawa za meno, vifaa vya umeme, vyakula na matairi ya magari.

Mbali na tatizo la bidhaa feki, pia inaonekana kuwa wananchi wengi (walaji) bado wana uelewa mdogo sana wa kulinda na kutetea haki zao pindi wanapodhulumiwa .

Mathalani ni mara ngapi tumesikia walaji wakilalamika kuuziwa chakula kibovu? au kufidiwa kutokana na madhara yanayotokana na kutumia chakula hicho?.

Utafiti unaonyesha kuwa zaidi ya asilimia 80 ya walaji nchini hawana uelewa wa kutosha kuhusiana na haki zao.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa shirika lisilo la kiserikali linalotetea haki za walaji linalojulikana kama Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) Bw. Bernard Kihiyo ,anasema mapema mwezi Aprili mwaka huu shirika hilo lilifanya utafiti wa awali katika miji ya Arusha, Mwanza, Moshi na Dar es Salaam.

Utafiti huo, ulishirikisha jumla ya walaji 3,000 walioulizwa kuhusiana na uzoefu wao na matatizo wanayokutana nayo.

Utafiti umeonyesha kuwa watu wanane kati ya kumi waliohojiwa wamekiri kutojua haki zao, kudanganywa na kudhulumiwa na wafanyabiashara ambao sio waadilifu, alisema.

Anasema karibu walaji wote walioulizwa hawajui ni wapi watakapopata utetezi na ushauri pindi wanapopatwa na matatizo ya udanganyifu na wizi huo.

Alidokeza kuwa wengi wao wamekata tamaa, wakiona haki zao zikipindishwa na kuvunjwa bila utetezi ndio maana hawaoni sababu ya kujua zaidi.

`Uelewa mdogo wa walaji hao na kukosa jukwaa la kupazia sauti,umetoa mwanya kwa wafanyabiasha wenye uchu wa fedha kuendelea kutumia nafasi hiyo kuingiza bidhaa duni zisizo na ubora, pamoja na kutoa huduma zilizo chini ya viwango ukilinganisha na fedha inayolipwa na mteja`,alisema.

Alibainisha kuwa kwa sasa hapa nchini kuna mapungufu makubwa sana ya uwajibikaji wa mashirika binafsi na yale ya kibiashara kwa jamii hususan walaji.

Bw Kihiyo aliongeza kuwa, TCAS kama shirika wakilishi la kulinda na kutetea haki za walaji, litakuwa linatoa nafasi na uhuru kwa walaji kupaza sauti zao zisikike katika masuala yote ya kimaamuzi kuhusiana na uchumi na jamii ambayo yanahusu mtiririko wa maisha yao ya kila siku.

Ili kutimiza lengo hilo alisema, TCAS ina mpango wa kuanzisha shindano la kila mwaka kushindanisha mashirika na sekta mbalimbali zinazotoa huduma bora na bidhaa zenye ubora kwa mlaji. Hii itaongeza changamoto kwa makampuni na wafanyabiashara kujali na kufuata haki na matakwa ya wateja kwa kanuni na miongozo iliyopo.

Bw. Kihiyo alisema, TCAS ingependa kuona kwamba wafanyabiashara wa umma na binafsi wote wanakuwa na lengo moja la kufuata na kutekeleza miongozo ya biashara ya haki ambayo inalenga kumsaidia mlaji.

Katika kuimarisha huduma kwa walaji nchini, Mkurugenzi huyo alisema shirika hilo lenye makao yake Barabara ya Morogoro eneo la Mbezi pia lina mpango wa kuanzisha vikundi mbalimbali vya walaji ili waweze kujiunga pamoja kuzungumza na kutetea haki zao, pia zitakuwepo huduma za kuzunguka vijijini na mijini kuelimisha na kuelezea haki na wajibu wa mlaji katika mazingira ya soko huria.

Kwa upande mwingine Shirikisho la Wenye Viwanda Nchini (CTI) limesema serikali inatakiwa kuchukua hatua za haraka ili kudhibiti bidhaa feki katika soko la ndani.

Limeishauri serikali kutoa elimu kwa wadau wote juu ya hatari inayoweza kutokea kutokana na bidhaa feki kwa lengo la kuzizuia katika soko. Watalaam wa masuala ya afya wanaonya wananchi kuwa makini pindi wanaponunua bidhaa mbalimbali ikiwemo vyakula kutoka kwenye maduka.

Wanasema kuwa vingi ya vyakula hivyo vimepita muda wake wa matumizi na huenda vinaweza kuwaletea matatizo

Baadhi ya bidhaa ambazo mathalani zilionyesha muda wake wa kumaliza kutumika kuwa ni Februari 14, mwaka huu bado ziliendelea kuwepo katika maduka hayo, anasema Bw. Ngonela Mwandambo.

Wafanyabiashara wengi wamekuwa wakiuza bidhaa hizi waziwazi kwa visingizio kwamba iwapo hawatafanya hivyo wataingia hasara!

Kwa upande mwingine, hata zile mamlaka zinazohusika na uhakiki wa ubora wa bidhaa kama vile Taasisi ya Viwango Tanzania (TBS), Idara za Biashara kwenye manispaa mbalimbali na Wizara ya Afya nazo zimekuwa hazifuatilii vya kutosha kuhakikisha kwamba tatizo hili linadhibitiwa.

Majukumu ya msingi ya Serikali ni kuweka mazingira bora, kuhakikisha kwamba unakuwepo ushindani wa haki baina ya washiriki wa ndani na kati ya washiriki wa ndani na wa nje na wakati huo huo, kuhakikisha kwamba maslahi na afya za walaji hazidhuriki kutokana na uhafifu wa bidhaa zinazozalishwa ndani au kuingizwa kutoka nje.

Aidha, watumiaji wa huduma na bidhaa zinazozalishwa au kuingizwa katika soko kutoka nje, wanahitaji kulindwa kutokana na kutozwa bei au gharama za juu sana.

Kutokana na umuhimu wa kuwa na ushindani wa haki pamoja na kulinda walaji ndiyo maana Serikali katika nyakati mbalimbali imekuwa ikiunda taasisi za kudhibiti ushindani na kusimamia ubora wa bidhaa na huduma kwa lengo la kulinda wala ji.

Taasisi zilizoundwa kwa lengo la kulinda afya za walaji ni pamoja na Maabara ya Mkemia Mkuu wa Serikali, National Food Control Commission na taasisi ya kudhibiti ubora wa bidhaa Tanzania.

Mamlaka ya Kudhitibi Sekta ya Nishati na Maji, Mamlaka ya Kudhibiti Usafiri wa nchi kavu na majini, Mamlaka ya kudhibiti usafiri wa anga, Kamisheni ya kudhibiti upashanaji habari na matangazo, Mahakama ya mwenendo wa haki katika biashara na Mamlaka ya kudhibiti mawasiliano.

Kinachotakiwa ni viwanda vijitahidi kuzalisha kwa gharama ndogo ili nao wauze kwa gharama ndogo na walaji waweze kupata bidhaa zao.

Ni wazi kabisa ikiwa bidhaa zitakuwa bora na bei itakuwa ya chini basi wananchi wengi au walaji wengi watakimbilia kununua bidhaa za ndani kuliko kukimbilia kununua bidhaa za nje.
· SOURCE: Nipashe

`Walaji wengi hawajui kulinda, kutetea haki zao`

Nipashe ya 2007-09-13 09:55:12
Na Felix Andrew

Zaidi ya asilimia 80 ya walaji nchini, wanauelewa mdogo wa namna ya kulinda na kutetea haki zao endapo wamedhulumiwa, utafiti umebaini.

Akizungumza na Waandishi wa Habari jijini Dar es Salaam mwishoni mwa wiki, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa shirika lisilo la kiserikali linalotetea haki za walaji la Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS), Bw. Bernard Kihiyo, alisema Aprili, mwaka huu, shirika hilo lilifanya utafiti wa awali katika miji ya Arusha, Mwanza, Moshi, Pwani na Dar es Salaam.

Katika utafiti huo, jumla ya walaji 3,000 waliulizwa kuhusiana na uzoefu wao na matatizo wanayokutana nayo.

Utafiti umeonyesha kuwa, watu wanane kati ya 10 waliohojiwa, walikiri kutojua haki zao, kudanganywa na kudhulumiwa na wafanyabiashara ambao sio waadilifu, alisema.

Alisema karibu walaji wote walioulizwa hawajui ni wapi watakapopata utetezi na ushauri pindi wanapopatwa na matatizo ya udanganyifu na wizi huo.

Alidokeza kuwa, wengi wao wamekata tamaa, wakiona haki zao zikipindishwa na kuvunjwa bila utetezi ndio maana hawaoni sababu ya kujua zaidi.

``Uelewa mdogo wa walaji hao na kukosa jukwaa la kupazia sauti, umetoa mwanya kwa wafanyabiashara wenye uchu wa fedha kuendelea kutumia nafasi hiyo kuingiza bidhaa duni zisizo na ubora, pamoja na kutoa huduma zilizo chini ya viwango ukilinganisha na fedha inayolipwa na mteja,`` alisema.

Alisema kwa sasa hapa nchini kuna mapungufu makubwa ya uwajibikaji wa mashirika binafsi na yale ya kibiashara kwa jamii hususan walaji.

Mkurugenzi huyo aliongeza kuwa, TCAS kama shirika wakilishi la kulinda na kutetea haki za walaji, litakuwa linatoa nafasi na uhuru kwa walaji kupaza sauti zao zisikike katika masuala yote ya kimaamuzi kuhusiana uchumi na jamii ambayo yanahusu mtiririko wa maisha yao ya kila siku.

Ili kutimiza lengo hilo alisema, TCAS ina mpango wa kuanzisha shindano la kila mwaka kushindanisha mashirika na sekta mbalimbali zinazotoa huduma bora na bidhaa zenye ubora kwa mlaji.

Alisema hiyo itaongeza changamoto kwa makampuni na wafanyabiashara kujali na kufuata haki na matakwa ya wateja kwa kanuni na miongozo iliyopo.
· SOURCE: Nipashe

Consumer awareness is no laughing matter

The Guardian; 2007-11-08 08:38:49 By The Editor

Years into the mayhem caused by the flooding of Tanzania with counterfeit or expired consumer items, we are yet to see enough really serious efforts to solve the problem. If anything, the situation has worsened in recent years.

Yes, the Government has come up with a number of initiatives meant to stem the disastrously furious tide - among them the establishment of sectoral watchdog bodies like the Tanzania Bureau of Standards, Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority, and Fair Trade Commission, and Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority. However, these have until now done precious little to clear the mess.
Unfortunately, partly because of lack of awareness on the risks attendant to the use of fake or expired goods, even the consuming public has not done much to help. But now a body known as Tanzania Consumers Advocacy Society reports that it is contemplating a nationwide consumer awareness crusade to support Government efforts in fighting counterfeit products. At least that is the belief of its executive director, Bernard Kihiyo.
Kihiyo says legal and other interventions have all but lost the war against hazardous goods, leaving consumers at the mercy of dishonest producers and other commercial interests out to make super profits even at the expense of public health and security.
Does anyone see TCAS boosting consumer awareness in the country appreciably enough to arrest the influx of counterfeit industrial and other items that have slowly but surely turned Tanzania into a dumpsite of shoddy goods rejected, derided or abhorred everywhere else?
Kihiyo swears that they will make it and that it will not be nightfall before Tanzanians have a full grasp of their basic rights and responsibilities as consumers.
The day this bold statement of intent leads to concrete interventions able to pull the sting of destruction from the goods and services available in our marketplace will be a truly great and memorable one.
It is decades since governments and various other institutions in different parts of the world began taking measures, including legal ones, to help consumers understand their rights and responsibilities.
Initially, only these were identified as the basic rights of consumers: the rights to choose, to safety, to be informed, and to be heard. However, the list was later also to include the right to protection, redress or remedy vis-a-vis hazardous products and services.
As Kihiyo recounts, consumers are entitled to assurance that quality products and services are available for them to choose and buy at competitive prices.
Consumers also enjoy the rights to be heard and to expect positive results from both business and Government in the event of problems leading to dissatisfaction.
Where things work to plan, consumers also enjoy the right to be treated with respect and to an appropriate response to their needs and problems even if no purchase is actually made.
Tanzania is still miles away from that noble target but agencies like TCAS could, in their own small way, serve as saviours. They deserve full support because consumer awareness is serious business.
· SOURCE: The Guardian-IPPMEDIA

Study Shows Commercial fraud, Cheating on the rise

The Guardian; Business and Foreign Sept.07.2007
By Felix Andrew;

COMMERCIAL fraud and cheating are said to be major challenges currently facing consumers, a consumer advocacy body has said, the Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS), has confirmed.

Speaking to this paper in an interview in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday, Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) executive director Bernard Kihiyo said a research conducted by his organization in April, this year, in some regions of the country revealed that acts of commercial fraud and cheating were on the increase due to poor knowledge of consumers.

‘’We conducted a baseline survey in Arusha, Mwanza, Moshi, Coastal and Dar es Salaam regions to establish the scope of the problem’’ he said.

A total of 3000 consumers were interviewed whereby 80 per cent of the respondents mentioned commercial fraud and cheating as major challenge which they confronted

The respondents also did not understand where to lodge their application in case they come across such problem.

Kihiyo said more than 80 per cent of consumers in Tanzania suffered from lack of understanding of consumer rights and the ability to claim their rights, thus rendering them vulnerable to fraud and cheating.

The have resigned themselves to fate, they sit and watch silently as their rights are violated’’ he said

The director said this had come in the wake of economic and financial reforms that took place in the mid 80s. He said taking advantage of the policy changes, consumers’ ignorance and in the absence of a platform to advocate consumer rights; unscrupulous traders flooded the market with counterfeit, substandard products and services to enrich themselves.

‘’The concept of corporate social responsibility is lacking in Tanzania’’ he charged.

Kihiyo said, ‘’TCAS seeks to ensure that consumer, trade, business, private and public enterprises have an equal status in complying with the principle of fair business and hence acts in response to consumer rights, needs and interests’’.

According to him, the government and the donor community were supporting private sector excluding consumers.

Government still plays little role in consumer rights

Article about Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society
On The Business Times-Tanzania;
Published on; Friday Nov 9, 2007 Page 9
By Eric Toroka -
MORE than 50 years have elapsed since the United Nations announced the Universal Declaration of consumer’s rights sadly; however, some rights continue to be abused in Tanzania including consumer’s rights, the Tanzania Consumers Advocacy society (TCAS) has said.
The TCAS executive director Bernard Kihiyo says apart from all the efforts to enact new Acts for consumer protection in Tanzania, yet consumer rights continue to be ignored or trivialized by government, producers and other powerful interests.

There is very low level of consumer awareness on their rights in Tanzania as you can see the presence of a lot of counterfeit products in Tanzania market believed to be more 40% of all goods in the market, this is terrible, he insisted.

Kihiyo says consumer Rights have their origin in former US President John F. Kennedy's declaration of four basic consumer rights, four originated by Consumer International (CI) and two from Consumer Unity & Trust Society of India (CUTS).

Kennedy said in his March 15, 1962 declaration to the US Congress; '’Consumers are the largest economic group, affecting and affected by almost every public and private economic decision. Yet they are the only important group... whose views are often not heard.’'

TCAS would like to raise consumer’s awareness on their rights. Only knowledgeable and alert consumers aware of their rights and responsibilities can protect themselves effectively. Kihiyo explains.

The need of the hour is, therefore, to educate the common consumers particularly both in rural and urban areas who are more susceptible to this mess.

There are 8 consumer rights namely… the right to satisfaction of basic needs – consumer has the right to access to basic, essential goods and services: adequate food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, public utilities, water and sanitation.
The right to safety – consumer has the right to be protected against products, production processes and services which are hazardous to health or life, the purchased goods and services availed of should not only meet their immediate needs, but also fulfil long term interests.
Before purchasing, consumers should insist on the quality of the products as well as on the guarantee of the products and services; Kihiyo explained.
The right to be informed - consumer has the right to be given the facts needed to make an informed choice, and to be protected against dishonest or misleading advertising and labelling.
Consumer should insist on getting all the information about the product or service before making a choice or a decision. This will enable him to act wisely and responsibly and also enable him to desist from falling prey to high pressure selling techniques.
The right to choose - consumer has the right to be able to select from a range of products and services, offered at competitive prices with an assurance of satisfactory quality.
It also includes right to basic goods and services. This is because unrestricted right of the minority to choose can mean a denial for the majority of its fair share. This right can be better exercised in a competitive market where a variety of goods are available at competitive prices. He explained.
The right to be heard - consumer has the right to be heard, that consumer interests represented in the making and execution of government policy, and in the development of products and services.
Means that consumer's interests will receive due consideration at appropriate forums. It also includes right to be represented in various forums formed to consider the consumer's welfare.
The Consumers should form non-political and non-commercial consumer organizations which can be given representation in various committees formed by the Government and other bodies in matters relating to consumers.
The right to redress - To receive a fair settlement of just claims, including compensation for misrepresentation, shoddy goods or unsatisfactory services Means right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices or unscrupulous exploitation of consumers.
It also includes right to fair settlement of the genuine grievances of the consumer.
Consumers must make complaint for their genuine grievances. In many cases their complaint may be of small value but its impact on the society as a whole may be very large. They can also take the help of consumer organisation like TCAS he insisted.
The right to consumer education - consumer has the right to acquire knowledge and skills needed to make informed, confident choices about goods and services, while being aware of basic consumer rights and responsibilities and how to act on them.
This means the right to acquire the knowledge and skill to be an informed consumer throughout consumer’s life; Ignorance of consumers is mainly responsible for their exploitation. They should know their rights and must exercise them. Only then real consumer protection can be achieved with success, Mr. Kihiyo explains.
The right to a healthy environment -To live and work in an environment which is non-threatening to the well-being of present and future generations
There are two new consumer’s rights that originated from CUTS of India; these include; - The right to boycott - consumer has the right to resist and boycott any person, goods or services in the event of conflict with consumer's interest, high prices, poor quality and many other misleading information. He explains.
The right of opportunity - consumer has the right to opportunities to acquire basic needs which will enable one to work and to earn a living, without exploitation
Whereas consumers have got rights, they too have obligations to fulfil.
Their obligations and responsibilities include prompt payment of bills, having critical awareness on his/her rights and ensuring that utilization of goods or services is not in a manner hazardous to the environment or other users and they are obliged to respect contracts, He explains.

Education is a life long process of constantly acquiring relevant information, knowledge and skills. Consumer education is an important part of this process and is a basic consumer right that must be insisted to the general public and introduced at the school and college level. Kihiyo advises.

We believe this campaign will increase consumer’s understanding on their rights, will build consumer’s ability to claim for their rights. On the other hand the effort will make their voices to be heard, and because there will be high awareness amongst consumers therefore will make markets more accountable and responsive to consumers’ needs and interests.

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2008–2012
IntroductionTanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) was founded in 11th.July.2007 as a non governmental, independent consumers’ association which had been established with interest to promote, protect, disseminate, and advocate for consumers’ rights in Tanzania.

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society is an independent consumers’ voice whose intention is to forge a strong Consumers-Private- Public-Partnership with all sectoral regulatory authorities existing in Tanzania, local and international non-governmental organization to supplement government efforts on promotion and protection of consumers’ rights in Tanzania.

The issue of consumer protection in Tanzania has become acute especially since the liberalization of the Tanzania economy in the late 1980s. We believe TCAS is needed now, more than ever, to act as an independent voice for all consumers in today’s globalized world.

Our contribution toward consumers’ rights protection and promotion is essential to secure a fair, safe and sustainable future for Tanzania consumers in a global marketplace.

Government Efforts
The government has done wonderful jobs that provided several important pieces of legislation in which the respective rights and duties of consumers and suppliers can be identified and clarified.
The most important existing statutes concerning consumer affairs established since Tanzania independence are as follows;-
Tanzania Bureau of Standards Act; 1975
-Weight and measures Act; 1982
-Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority Act, 2001
-The Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority Act, 2001,
-The Fair Competition Act, 2003
-The Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority Act, 2003
-The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority Act, 2003
-Tanzania Food and Drug Authority Act 2003,
-The Bank of Tanzania Act, 2006 and many other written laws
It is peculiar to note that consumer abuses have continued to flourish in spite of the existing law; as it every where in the world, when certain law passed, unscrupulous traders like manufacturers, producers, importers, distributors, service providers of goods and services are finding ways to manoeuvre around it.
Therefore it is against this background TCAS is setting this five years strategic plan, to compliment government’s efforts on promotion and protection of consumers’ rights in Tanzania within the projected period.

Concepts in TCAS Strategic PlanThis Strategic plan as applied in this document is a departure from convention planning practice to essentially, having a systematically plans which decides what TCAS wants to be in future and how will it get there.
The plan includes the set of our mission, vision, values, operating principles, objectives, goals and implementation strategies for 2008-2012.
Our Vision
TCAS’s Vision is a Tanzania where consumers are aware of their rights and have ability to claim their rights. Where markets are accountable and more responsive to consumer’s needs and interests
Our Mission
To provide advocacy platform that would make consumers voices heard, raise consumer’s awareness of their rights, build consumer’s ability to claim their rights and make markets accountable and more responsive to consumers’ needs and interests.
Our values
-Adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct
-Having maximum Independence from business, government and party politics
-Having mutual respect and solidarity among Tanzania consumers and other implementing partners.
-Respect for consumers integrity
-Work on a very transparent and accountable manner.
-Work for maximum consumers’ participation on everything of their interest.
-Our operating principles
-Campaign constantly, fearlessly using maximum possible diplomatic ways for the betterment of Tanzania consumers.
-Always work for a common goal of supplement government efforts on protection and promotion of consumers’ rights.
-Collaborate with our members and partners by searching for synergies and promoting local and international consumers solidarity.
-Maintain a highly disciplined results oriented focus on maximizing impact for Tanzania consumers.
-Carry out strong financial management and sound operating procedures.
Our strategic objectives for 2008–2012
-Working toward raising Tanzania consumers’ awareness on their rights and obligations.
-Working on providing a platform to Tanzania consumers to make their voices to be heard.
-Working effectively on building the capacity of Tanzania consumers to claim for their consumers Rights.
-Working toward making markets accountable and responsive to consumers’ needs and interests.
Objective 1
Raising Awareness
Both public and private sectors are undergoing reforms to become more streamlined, less bureaucratic, more transparent and less corrupt. However, consumer rights philosophy has not yet extended to the reforms.
And, with a huge amount of private sector related laws and regulations to be changed, the majority of consumers and existing public institutions that are responsible for administering these reforms seem to be unprepared or act a bit slow for the challenge.

Furthermore, with the growth of the private sector, new civil society organizations are also emerging or reawakening to represent and advocate for their interests. To address these issues, the strategy of TCAS will focus on raising consumer rights awareness by incorporating crosscutting consumers’ problems, rights, responsibilities, and evidence-based analysis, into all our campaigns.
Our goals for 2008–2012 are to:Ø Conduct "Know Your Rights" campaigns, meetings, workshops, events and seminars, consumer rights education using relevant IEC materials and outreach services.
Ø Establish a "state–of–the art" reader-friendly consumer rights web site, hotline for 24/7, and establishment of Tanzania consumers Radio.
Ø Run open dialogue to receive consumers’ views and complaints and will produce monthly consumer bulletins.
Ø Undertake research and surveys on the magnitude of consumers' rights violation, frauds and cheating.
Ø Conduct outreach services focusing on the legal procedures for solving or lodging claims over cheating, fraud, fake, substandard and counterfeit goods and services.
Ø Work toward integration of consumers’ rights and issues into university and secondary schools curricula.
Ø Reflect Tanzania Consumers’ values and build recognition of the TCAS activities by making effective use of the media to communicate our work and purpose.
To this end TCAS will:To mainstream consumers’ rights philosophy in national policies and improve the linkages with on going reforms in order to ensure a level playing field with equal access for all including consumers, and with the appropriate checks and balances of a free market economy.
To collaborate with Sectoral Regulatory Authorities, universities, academic institutions, government ministries to undertake interdisciplinary research related to consumer rights to achieve real change – in consumers’ policy and practice.
By making consumers aware of their rights and the transparency that this entails will be among the most important factors in creating sustainable consumption and more equitable growth.
TCAS will also raise consumers’ awareness; to this end TCAS will:
Achieve positive change on consumers’ attitudes and understanding of their rights and responsibilities of at least 10 million consumers in Tanzania.
Objective 2
Right to be heard
'’Consumers are the largest economic group, affecting and affected by almost every public and private economic decision. Yet they are the only important group... whose views are often not heard’’ by US President; J.F. Kennedy in his 15 March 1962 declaration to the US Congress.
Consumer rights are by nature very cross-cutting, with multiple counterparts, both public and private. Based on the needs identified by Tanzania consumers and building upon existing reforms, experiences gained over the last decade and gaps not covered by other stakeholders and activists,


Our goals for 2008–2012 are to:Lobby against exclusion and build a consumer-public-private partnership for regular exchange of information, discussions with government officials, distributors, officials from the regulatory agencies, legal and the institutional framework, Global Right to Food Network, human rights activists responsible for implementing and monitoring consumer rights at national and international levels, donor community, local and international NGOs, CBOs etc.
TCAS’s Technical Team will produce technical papers on specific issues related to Consumer rights for policy makers and other actors. The aim is to make consumers voices heard and enlist a common stand on consumer rights, needs and interests. Where possible, twinning with foreign consumer rights advocates will also be considered.
Conduct Annual consumer award to create greater possibilities for using values of corporate social responsibility (CSR), standards and business best practise frameworks to promote greater private sector interest in consumers’ protection.
Mobilise Tanzania consumers to strongly participate on speaking out and public communications campaign on certain key consumers issues such as; - the rights to be informed and to be heard, right to safety and sustainable essential goods and services.
To this end TCAS will:1. Improve consumers’ ability to fight and protect for their consumers’ rights.
2. Catalyse strong consumers’ participation in all issues of their interests.
3. Improve TCAS’s ability to gather and interpret credible information on the views and concerns of consumers all over Tanzania and articulate this to decision-makers.
4. Achieve mutual understanding between consumers and other stakeholders like producers, distributors, services providers, retailers on what are the needs and interests of consumers in Tanzania market,
5. Achieve positive change on consumers’ attitudes and ability to claim for redress from producers, service providers, distributors, of at least ten thousand consumers to be able to claim for redress under this strategic plan period.
Objective 3
Capacity to claim Rights
To build the capacity of Tanzania consumers where ever they are in rural and urban areas that can increase the strength of national society to campaign effectively for consumers’ rights nationally and all around the world.
TCAS must be strong financially and operationally to continue being an effective and efficient force for Tanzania consumers. We must be a highly skilled, ethical, inclusive organisation which values and nurtures our staff. We must have necessary skills manage our activities and finances with great care and provide our well-wishers and donors with maximum value for their money.
Our goals for 2008–2012 are to:Improve consumers’ negotiation skills, strategic engagement with the government, manufacturers, service providers, distributors and eradicating feelings of powerlessness.
Develop a stronger national campaigning movement, equipped to work in collaboration with partners to build our internal capacity to achieve our long-term goals.
Conduct in two years an internal capacity building needs assessments and that of our implementing partners to establish a level playing ground.
Develop and implement human resource strategies, systems and policies that reflect and lead on implementation of TCAS’s ambitions and objectives.
Support the work of various groups including the group of Voluntary Observers in Interest on Consumers’ Empowerment in Tanzania.
Improve TCAS’s ability to gather and interpret credible information on the views and concerns of consumers all over Tanzania and articulate this to decision-makers.
Establish and support a total 8 Zonal offices and work for establishment of 108 consumers clubs, four each in every administrative region in Tanzania, Zonal offices will oversee and support established consumers clubs activities in nearest vicinity.
Provide legal support on issues of public interest to individual Tanzania consumers when they face attack from manufacturers, service providers, distributors, the governments, and other international corporations.
Work closely with Consumers International to ensure that TCAS acquire assistance on capacity building from successful and large CI’s members.
To this end TCAS will:1. Achieve real change – in policy and practice – on selected consumers’ issues that matter to Tanzania consumers, with high levels of all stakeholders’ involvement in our campaigns.
2. Impart our staff with necessary skills and technical know-how locally and abroad with reputable organizations and institutions dealing with consumers’ rights promotion and protection.
3. Achieve consumers networking that will guarantee public communications, and awareness creation on all consumers’ issues.
4. Consolidate our standing as the leading independent national consumers association on consumer protection in Tanzania.
5. Implement, a resources permit, realistic and appropriate capacity-building programme focused on up to real consumers’ and partners’ problems
6. Provide best possible working conditions to attract, retain and develop professional, committed and innovative staff.

7. Help on bringing about a basic consumer protection legal framework that is conducive and acceptable with all stakeholders
8. Be accountable and transparent, complying with meaningful and strong NGO accountability standards to ensure strong and stable finances with carefully managed fixed costs within our core income.
Objective 4
Make markets accountable and responsive
It is claimed that more than 80% of consumers in Tanzanian suffer from lack of understanding of consumer rights. They remain vulnerable, they have no ability to claim their rights and a formidable platform that could make their voices’ heard is also lacking.
Within the TCAS strategies, there are endeavours plans to enable consumers to engage strategically with suppliers, the legal, regulatory agencies and institutional framework to make them more responsive to consumer’s needs and interests.
Our goals for 2007–2011 are to:TCAS will lobby through Fair Competition Commission (FCC) for the establishment of "The Tanzania Consumer and Competition Watchdog" under an independent NGO to suppliment FCC monitoring work on market behaviour and competitive conditions.
Campaign against and highlight unethical business practices in marketplaces.
Campaign publicly for compliance with meaningful and strong corporate accountability standards
Establish an "Annual Consumer Award to the best/bad Manufacturer, importer, distributor and service provider… of the year.
Work for series of high-quality, influential comparative research, strong accountability standards and promote better practices to local businesses which use to provide key products and services to Tanzania consumers.
Raise consumers’ awareness on the impact of sustainable consumption patterns and promotion of sector-specific environmental-management best practices.
To this end TCAS will:
Work as independent consumer/competition watch-dog in Tanzania market.
Use our global network to research and publicise consumer detriment resulting from marketplace abuses by international corporations.
Consumers’ opinion on the way businesses are behaving is one way of making their voices to be heard and the award will empower Tanzania consumers to a great extent;
Provide evidence of consumer concerns to business representative councils through dialogue aimed at changing corporate behaviour detrimental to consumers and, when appropriate, by supporting corporate behaviour favourable to consumers.
Encourage business companies to take a triple-bottom-line approach to their performance: sensitivity to standards, quality and environment – as well as economic impact of their operations
One way of strengthening business environment for Tanzania (BEST project) especially on the demand side
Discourage unsustainable practices and incentives for more sustainable practices, while avoiding potential negative effects to consumers.
TCAS finding for ways forward
This strategic plan was developed in 2007 with input from all of TCAS’s board members, individual consumers (3000 interviewed consumers) and key partner like Tanzania sectoral regulatory authorities and Consumers International. It is the framework against which TCAS will make choices about our priorities for action for the next five years from 2008 to 2012.
TCAS Staff members will turn these words into practical action plans and clear indicators every year, so that we can chart the progress that is being achieved.
The strategic plan will be a disciplined and flexible tool that will provide a clear focus for TCAS’s work while fostering an entrepreneurial and ambitious organisation.
We will continue to consult individual Tanzania consumer on the way forward TCAS should take during the next five years. And within the best possible understanding of the risks and uncertainties which surround to TCAS in executing its duties, TCAS will take the advantage of possible opportunities that can help Tanzania consumer movement have greater impact, grow and improve.
Above all, in everything we do, TCAS will strive to fulfil its mission through implementation of this strategic plan, proving TCAS’s value and effectiveness to implementing partners, and consumers all around Tanzania.
For more information about TCAS like; ministries, and other related activities kindly visit our website http://www.tcas.or.tz