Tanzania to Commemorate Consumers’ Rghts Day

By the Express reporter, Singida
The express; 21-27 February, 2008

Tanzania will join other countries in the world to commemorate the world Consumers’ Rights day, which will be held on 15th of next mouth.

Speaking at in interview in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, the Executive Director of Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society, Bernard Kihiyo, said the commemoration day was set to address consumer rights violation challenges in the world, including Tanzania.

This years World Consumer Right Day theme is ‘Junk food generation - to the marketing of unhealthy food’.

Junk foods are foods high in sugar, salt and fat content, and as result of confusing labelling and extensive promotion it can be difficult to tell apart what food of drink is healthy or not healthy.

He said TCAS intend to organize consumers’ week, eventful consumers’ rights related activities days, before the climax of commemorating the World Consumers Rights Day.

On 13th, March, TCAS will convene a round table meeting to sensitize people about marking the WCRD on 15th march.

The society also plants to hold a press conference to extend an invitation to members of the general public, media houses, and members of professional bodies, like medical doctors from Muhimbili, Tanzania Bureau of Standards personnel and Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority personnel, to take about their efforts to curb junk food generation, and to determine a way forward for this campaign.

Others activities include conducting a Round table meeting to celebrate WCRD with the focus on consumers’ empowerment, and awareness creation on consumers’ rights and remedies on the one hand, and on the other way sounding a note of warning about junk Food Generation.

During the day, TCAS will hold a peaceful rally from Kariakoo to Mnazi Mmoja grounds, in the morning, later to make a key word on World Consumers’ Rights Day at Mnazi Mmoja grounds, where TCAS management group representatives and key government officials will deliver speeches.

The main message to mark the day will focus on awareness creation of junk food Generation, throughout the final event and through media coverage by newspapers, radio and Television.

World Consumers’ rights Day have its origins in former US President John F. Kennedy, in his 15th March 1962 declaration to the US Congress.

World Consumers’ rights Day was first observed on 15th March 1983 in the US and UK, later in the developed world, Egypt, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, just to mention a few, and has since become an important occasion for mobilising citizen action under the leadership of the world consumers’ organization body know as “Consumers International”.