Petrol prices surpass £6 per gallon

YAHOO NEWS

Average petrol prices have gone past the 132p a litre mark, meaning that for the first time the cost has reached £6 a gallon in UK, the AA president Edmund King said.

The average price of petrol at the pumps is now 132.12p a litre, while diesel has also hit a new record at 137.92p a litre. The cost of petrol has risen 6.93p a litre since the start of the year, and 1.68p a litre in the past week, said the AA.

A year ago, a litre of petrol on average cost 114.30p and diesel was 115.31p. For a family with two petrol cars, the monthly cost of fuel has risen from £242.70 in March 2010 to £280.54 now. In the same period, the price of oil has risen from around 85 US dollars (£52.4) a barrel to 113 US dollars (£69.7).

AA president Edmund King said: "£6 a gallon is not just another milestone along the road to higher fuel prices; it marks the point at which the wheels start to come off mobility in 21st-century UK.”Lower-income drivers, poorer rural residents, volunteer drivers, youngsters looking to their first jobs are some of the vulnerable groups struggling to stay on the road.

"The Government must act urgently to reduce the burden of high fuel duty and VAT. In the meantime, drivers are going to have to manage as best as they can, by cutting out journeys, driving more economically and hoping that a stronger pound will cushion some of the blow.

"But these high prices are already leaving casualties among drivers, consumers and business."

Source:
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/21/20110309/tuk-petrol-prices-surpass-6-per-gallon-6323e80.html

How to Protect Yourself from Unwanted Phone Calls

04th.Feb.2011, 04:27 pm

Yahoo! News

Unwanted phone calls or cold calls are a pain and one of the most despised marketing tactics. Under government regulation, it is illegal for a UK company to call any individual who has indicated that they don't want the calls.

On 1 February, new rules by Ofcom came into force to prevent consumers being harassed by repeated silent calls from the same company. To protect yourself even more, here are six practical measures you can take to prevent both silent and nuisance calls.

1) Get removed from sales call lists
This may seem the obvious way to prevent you from being contacted by cowboy companies, but when an unwanted caller contacts you, don't immediately say 'sorry, I'm not interested' and then slam the phone down. Remember that the first and last thing you should firmly ask them is to be removed from the company's sales call list.

Under the Data Protection Act, a company is by law prohibited from calling you again for marketing purposes if you've made a request not to be called, even if you're one of their customers.

2) Join the Telephone Preference Service
British communications regulator Ofcom advises that a victim of unsolicited and silent calls should register with the Telephone Preference Service. This is the official central opt-out service, which means it is illegal for unsolicited sales and telemarketing companies to call you once you're registered. The service covers landlines as well as mobile telephone numbers.

Companies have a responsibility to check whether the people on their call lists are signed up to the TPS. According to research, consumer watchdog, Which? found that signing up for free to the TPS cuts the cold calls people receive on average by one third.

The Telephone Preference Service recommends that before registering it is worth reflecting on the fact that doing so may well prevent you from receiving relevant and worthwhile information. So make sure you contact the companies who you do not wish to hear from and ask them to remove your details from their call lists. However, the service doesn't cover companies contacting you for market research purposes, or not-for-profit organisations, like charities or political parties.

Click here to register with the Telephone Preference Service, or phone 0845 0700707. It takes about 28 days after registering for all calls to be stopped. The service is completely free so if a company ever tries to scam you by making you pay for this service, refuse and inform the TPS.

3) Make your telephone number ex-directory
Companies may add phone numbers that are publicly listed in the phone book or listed online to their call lists. This is the easiest way for them to find potential customers and target their annoying sales calls. By getting your number excluded from these directories, rogue marketing companies will find it more difficult to obtain your details.

4) Make a formal complaint
When it's absolutely necessary, complain to Ofcom via their online complaints form or by phone on 0300 123 3000. Report the name and number of the company that is making the calls, plus any other details you may have (including how many times you have been called by the same number and over what period of time). If you are unable to identify the caller you should contact your phone company which can trace the caller.

Ofcom continually monitors complaints about silent calls, and has the power to investigate any company which it believes may not be complying with its guidelines. Ofcom can fine companies that are found to be leaving silent and abandoned calls. For example, one of the worst silent call offenders, Barclaycard, was fined a maximum penalty of £50,000.

As of 1 February, Ofcom said it intended to use the full extent of the new financial penalty of £2 million on a company responsible for silent calls. Ofcom's chief executive, Ed Richards, warned: "Silent and abandoned calls can cause significant consumer harm. Ofcom has given sufficient warnings to companies about silent calls and is ready to take appropriate action against those companies which continue to break the rules."

You can also report problem calls, such as silent calls, to your phone provider which is responsible for tackling them. Most phone companies have a nuisance or malicious calls team, who will be able to give you advice on what to do.

Report TPS rule breaches to the TPS, who will contact the company and pass complaints to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which can take action against repeat offenders.

5) Blocking and screening calls
Phone companies can offer their customers a variety of services such as call blocking and anonymous call rejection to help them deal with unwanted calls. Contact your provider to subscribe to a call barring service for unwanted phone calls. However, you may be charged for using this service.

Many cold calls come from abroad, so unless you need to receive international calls, ask your phone provider to block calls from international numbers. You can also block calls from withheld numbers, though this may prevent some calls you want to receive, such as a friend or relative calling you from their workplace on a withheld number.

If you have caller display and an answer phone, consider only answering calls from numbers you recognise. Legitimate callers are likely to leave you a message.

There are also call screening devices you can invest in, for example Truecall (as seen on 'Dragon's Den') is a £99 unit designed to reduce the number of nuisance and telemarketing calls that you receive. It plugs into your regular home phone, and is able to create lists of welcome and unwelcome callers.

6) Be sparing with your personal details
Become a proactive consumer and carefully manage the way you distribute your personal information. Be wary of how much information you give out during consumer transactions, and read the privacy policies of each company or organisation you deal with. Inform companies that you do not want your personal information distributed. There are certain companies which gather personal information for databases and sell them onto a third party for purposes of B2B data, mailing lists and sales leads for marketing purposes.

Opt out of as many lists as you can, including those companies you deal with on a frequent basis.

Written by Gaby Leslie

Source: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/38/20110204/ttc-how-to-protect-yourself-from-unwante-f0c422d.html

What is the situation in Tanzania - Your comment Please info@tcas-tz.org



Do Banks Routinely Take Unfair Advantage of Their Clients’ Ignorance?

Written by Admin
The Business Times: Friday, 24 December 2010 06:23

CONSUMERS in the financial sector can only get their own voice and protection against abuse from product-and-service providers in the sector if the Government will suitably amend the Bank of Tanzania Act 2003, which established the central bank (BoT), the Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society Society (TCAS) has observed.

Speaking to Business Times through wire communication this week, the Society's executive director, Bernard Kihiyo, said there is a real need to amend the Act. This is with a view to making clear the rights and responsibilities of banks – and also the rights and responsibilities of consumers of financial products and services.

"This means that every person should get his right, and whenever a problem arises we would be able to monitor where and who is responsible," Kihiyo said.

Noting that “there are a number of cases of violation that are done by commercial banks against their customers, mainly in on-line banking,” Kihiyo said this was in large measure due to consumers signing contracts without having full knowledge of their implications.

Asked if a consumer can take legal action against a bank for violation of his rights, Kihiyo said "it depends on the line of violation; it may be something to do with transfer of money – may be money has been transacted without the customer's authority – or a violation which happens in the area of loans..."

Speaking on the matter, the chief executive officer of Twiga Bancorp, Hussein Mbululo, said “there is a need to look at this issue of violation of consumer rights because they are many (such violations). Consumer organizations overseas know about their rights, and they protect their people well. I do not know much about the BoT Act (2003); but, once I have gone through it. I will be able to point out the problems in it. ”

All that notwithstanding, Mbululo mentioned some of the challenges that consumers are faced with include unilateral and arbitrary changes in interest rates; high bank charges, service charges, funds transfer etc without prior knowledge or acquiescence of account holders!

James Guest is the president and CEO of Consumers Union of US Inc, the vice-president for Consumer Organizations in G-20 countries – and also Consumers International (CI). Speaking to Business Times on the issue, Guest said there is a need of commitment from the most powerful nations in the world to protect citizens from abusive financial services and other industry malpractices.

"The global nature of banking means that countries around the world are now facing the same challenges. It is common sense that they work together to develop solutions," he said.

In the event, CI urgently wants to see the establishment of an Experts Group on Consumer Financial Protection which would report to the G20 Summit in 2011.

This would be a first step to ensuring that consumers from both developed and developing nations have access to stable, fair and competitive financial services. Samuel Ochieng, the CEO for CIN-Kenya says "getting this right is not only vital to consumers, but also to the ongoing stability of the world economy."

In that regard, Ochieng says “Consumers International – which represents 220 consumer organisations in 115 countries – is urgently calling for the needs of everyday consumer of financial services to be pushed to the top of the agenda.”

Furthermore, “poor financial consumer protection – as exemplified by US sub-prime mortgages – was a key catalyst for the financial crisis... “The interconnected nature of global banking then spread the crisis rapidly from country to country, threatening livelihoods, savings and social stability.”

According to Ricardo Nasio, president of ProConsumer in Argentina, said people around the world will live with the consequences for years to come. "For many consumer organisations, the financial crisis highlighted what is an ongoing emergency in financial services. Consumers International members in large and small, rich and poor countries are dealing with complaints about financial products and services every day...

"And, each year, the global economy creates up to 150 million new consumers of financial services, many of whom are in countries where consumer protection and financial literacy are woefully inadequate," Nasio noted. “Last month, the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors issued a statement detailing the progress they have made in finding “policies conducive to reducing excessive imbalances and maintaining current account imbalances at sustainable levels,” Nick Stace, CEO for Choice of Australia, says.

“This is, of course, important; but, once again, there is barely a mention of the consumer – a crucial element that remains conspicuous by its absence from these international discussions.”

Seasonal Greetings from TCAS - 2011 Thank You for Your Support

It’s the holiday season—the time of year when we count our blessings and think about helping consumers whose rights had been violated. For those of us in the nonprofit organizations, helping others is not a once a year phenomenon—it is the heart of the work we do every day of the year.

Even in these difficult economic times, we have much to be thankful for. We are thankful we get to do meaningful work that helps make our community a better place to live, businesses to strive and consumers to get better value to money spent on goods and services.

At Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS), we are proud to work with you for fair and equitable Tanzania and the world at large. It is enormously gratifying to know that through our consumer public education campaigns, one-to-one advisory service, web resources and publications, we are partnering with you to make a real difference at the community, national and international level.

If you’ve supported or attended one of program, received direct assistance from one of our staff, or visited our offices or just been part of our supporter in year 2010, we want to take this opportunity to thank you. Thank you for all you did to make your communities and our world a better place live. Next year-2011, we plan to continue and expand our work to encourage and support consumer advocacy by individuals, nonprofit organizations, the foundations, government agencies and development partners. We hope you will continue to be our partner in this work.

This past year, TCAS expanded its work across different sectors and activities as consumers issues are cross cutting by nature, while continuing to work intensively with groups working for improved public education, legal reform, consumer’s rights, environmental protection, financial education, competition and standards issues and we hosted on other issues which were of critical importance to social and economic justice to consumers.

Our special thanks for year 2010 go to;-

1. Our esteemed members and volunteers under VOICE - TZ

2. Anne Fransen Fund - Netherlands

3. Department of International Development – UK

4. Financial Education Fund –SA

5. The Foundation for Civil society-TZ

6. Swedish Society for Nature Conservation – Sweden

7. Aim for Human Rights – Netherlands

8. Consumer Information Network – Kenya

9. Consumers International – UK

10. UNICEF – Food Fortification

11. International Telecommunication Union - Switzerland

12. Sectoral Regulatory Authorities;- Bank of Tanzania, Tanzania Bureau of Standards, TFDA, TCRA, EWURA and SUMATRA

13. Media Houses;-IPP media, Business Times, Mwananchi, Majira, Daily News, Star TV, Radio Uhuru, radio one, EATV, Capital TV

14. and many others the list is endless

We promise to do even more in 2011; TCAS management hopes to count on you as a continuing partner in this work. On behalf of TCAS’s management, staffs, volunteers and members, we wish you happy holidays and a New Year filled with peace and justice for all.

Bernard E. Kihiyo


Executive Director


Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society
Kindly visit Our Website for more infomation: http://www.tcas-tz.org/

How the US Government Guaranteed the coming food crisis

Friday, 10 December 2010 07:07

BY PORTER STANSBERRY & BRADEN COPELAND
OVER the last several years, I've written constantly on the growing likelihood of a global currency collapse.The Governments of Europe and the United States have accumulated debts so large they can't ever hope to repay them, except with currencies whose value will be inflated away by money-printing.

That's led me to recommend inflation hedges like railroads, gold, silver, and various forms of energy. Owning these "real assets" is the single best way to protect yourself from the inflationary crisis. But make sure you don't forget the most important inflation hedge of all: food.

If you've been reading the financial press for the past few months, you know the prices of vital food commodities are soaring. The price of corn is up 47 per cent since this summer. Soybeans are up 30 per cent. Wheat is up 43 per cent.

I expect this trend of higher food prices to continue for years as the U.S government intentionally debases the dollar while lying to you the whole time about wanting a "strong currency." (Make sure to read our essay here about this great lie.) There's also a good supply/demand case to be made for owning agricultural assets. Let's start with the largest crop in the United States, corn...

In 2009, US farmers grew 39 per cent of the world's corn – 307.4 million metric tons. The crop was worth US$48 billion. Our corn exports totaled $8.7 billion.

Most harvested corn in the US is used to feed livestock – 43 per cent of 2009 production. Almost as much (41 per cent) was used for food, consumer, and industrial products (toothpaste, adhesives, cosmetics, starches, sweeteners, oils, beverages, industrial alcohol, fuel ethanol, etc.). The remainder was exported. The US sent most of its corn to Japan, Mexico, and South Korea.

The second-largest corn grower, China, produced 165.9 million metric tons, or half the US production. The European Union was a distant third, harvesting 62.7 million metric tons. Brazil checked in fourth, at 51 million metric tons.

In 2009, a severe drought in China killed millions of bushels of corn. Stockpiles dwindled to alarming levels as the government sold corn to keep the price from rocketing higher. Into 2010, the situation hasn't improved. The Chinese have become net importers of corn for the first time in 16 years. Experts predict China will require 6-to-8 million metric tons of corn this year.

The Chinese corn crunch reminds the world of the food shortages of 2006-2008. Average global prices for wheat, corn, and soybeans spiked more than 100 per cent. Rice prices surged more than 200 per cent.

The PowerShares Agriculture Fund (DBA) noted that there was a sharp rise in agricultural commodity prices from 2007 to 2008...

This price rise resulted from changing diets in developing countries and the US's move to use corn as a fuel source (ethanol). From 2006 to 2008, total global grain consumption increased three per cent per year, up from two per cent per year from 2000 to 2006. People were eating more meat. You need seven pounds of feed grain to produce one pound of beef.

Increasing affluence leads to a desire for greater luxury in everything, including food. Developing and developed countries are now competing for what they want to eat. And that means prices are going up again.

Notice the right edge of the chart. The price of the DBA basket of agricultural commodities is breaking higher. A large component of this fund is the United State's second largest crop, soybeans.

The U.S. produced $31 billion worth of soybeans in 2009. It's our largest agricultural export. Total exports in 2009 exceeded $16 billion, setting a record.

The US produced almost one-third of the world's soybeans in 2009 (91.4 million metric tons). Brazil and Argentina combined for 50% more of the globe's production. China produced seven per cent, and India produced four per cent.

Soybeans are also used for animal feed. They have twice as much protein content as any other major vegetable or grain. Their protein also makes up many common meat and dairy substitutes, including soymilk and tofu. Soybean oil is used for food and industrial applications.

When it comes to soy consumption, the story has changed in recent years. China has overtaken the US as the leader...

In 2005, China was second, consuming 45 million metric tons of soybeans compared with the US's 51 million metric tons. Last year, China consumed at least 60 million metric tons. The US consumed less than 50 million metric tons.

Unfortunately for China, its domestic production can't begin to satisfy its growing soybean consumption. In 2009, the Chinese imported more than 45 million metric tons of soybeans. Almost half came from the United States. Chinese producers harvested a little more than 15 million metric tons on their own.

The China National Grain and Oils Information Center is projecting total Chinese imports for 2010 will total 60 million metric tons. That would be a 33 per cent increase over 2009. The US will likely supply half of this. This demand is already driving soybean prices back toward their record 2008 levels of $16 per bushel...

The combination of increasing global demand coupled with the Fed's quantitative easing makes a huge move higher in these commodities (and funds like the DBA) likely. Prices could soar high enough to trigger a global crisis.

When you read about this in the next year or two, don't say you weren't warned... and don't say you aren't prepared.

Whatever the temporary political solution to the looming food crisis is, the ultimate answer is more production. The only way to substantially increase farm productivity is better technology. [DailyWealth].

Source; http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article24601.html

Financial Products to Avoid

By Ray Martin Nov 4, 2010


The financial industry sells a lot of products that most folks should just avoid. Often these products are high cost versions of the same product available at a lower cost, offer a benefit you simply don’t need or expose you to additional risks. In short, they are a waste of your money. Here are three of the worst offenders.

Life insurance policies on children: Life insurance should cover people on whom others are financially dependent. In other words, you should buy life insurance on the family breadwinners but not on the people who are dependent on them. Since you don’t rely on your young children for income, you don’t need a large death benefit if they die. Insurance companies make a lot of money on a child’s policy because it’s pretty unlikely that the policy will ever be collected. Although it’s heavily marketed, this product is not as heavily bought. The American Council of Life Insurers reports that only about 15 percent of children in the U.S. under the age of 18 are currently covered by life insurance with policies generally providing only a few thousand dollars in coverage.

Grandparents in particular seem to like giving life insurance policies as gifts to grandchildren. I encourage them to put money into a 529 education account instead.

Co-signed credit cards: Under the new credit card rules, anyone under 21 can’t get a credit card unless they have sufficient income OR some over age 21 agrees to co-sign on the account. Unfortunately there are many loopholes so this restriction is unlikly to stop younger folks from getting theier own credit cards.

You should NEVER agree to be a co-signer on anyone’s credit card. Yes folks, that means you should never co-sign a credit card for your kids or siblings. Co-signing puts your own credit score on the line. For instance, if the other person on the account is late with a payment, that will reflect negatively on your credit report and that could lower your credit score. For parents with kids in college, instead of using a co-signed card, consider using a prepaid or bank credit card or a debit card.

Mutual funds that charge sales commission: These are called LOAD mutual funds. Sales charges on the front-end take four to six percent of your initial investment off the top to pay this sales charge. Funds with deferred sales charges (called back-end or deferred sales charges) come with additional ongoing fees that eat away at the fund’s performance while you own it. These load mutual funds will then need to outperform no-load mutual funds to make up for their extra fees. There’s not much to support that load funds sold by brokers can outperform no-load funds.

Companies say that sales commissions on mutual funds are a fee you pay in exchange for advice from a financial advisor. If you’re looking for investment advice, find an advisor that charges a fee for their advice, and then ask them to recommend no-load funds where your purchase of any funds recommended does not result in any additional compensation for the advisor.

Source: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/retirement-planning/blog/what-works/financial-products-to-avoid/557/

HERE ARE THE CHALLENGES FACING TANZANIA CONSUMERS WHEN USING INSURANCE SERVICES

By Jehovaness Zacharia; FE Project Consumer Adviser (Legal).
Tanzania like most of the African countries have a long history as far as financial services to the consumers is concerned. I analyzing the issue above, I find it important looking at where the country was to where we are today. Soon after independence, Tanzania adopted socialism and things were run communally. All the financial services were under the government. There was one Insurance company which was National Insurance Company owned by the government as well.

HERE ARE CHALLENGES
The consumers of insurance services in Tanzania had and still are facing a number of challenges which some of them are historically oriented (legacy). With this I find the consumers themselves bring challenge in the insurance market in Tanzania.

During colonialism, the Tanzania (Tanganyika by then) consumers believed that the Insurance policy is bought by the rich people only. And this was the case since the colonized had nothing to insure apart from his own life of which still even if he knew he was not economically well to do it.

Soon after independence, though there was communalism but still there was gap between the haves and have-nots, and the earlier who are the minority are the ones who had been using insurance services. The later would be in the position to but they wouldn’t since majority of Tanzanians were uneducated and financially illiterate.

In late 1990s Tanzania government reformed its financial sector and it allowed private entities to operate in financial sector and this includes insurance sector. These apart from increasing the number of players in provision of insurance services, it also widen the consumers field of choice when it comes to choosing which product to purchase, on my view this is as well a challenge in an illiterate market.

Though Tanzania financial sector is still in its early stage of development, there is rapid recent growth in the supply of financial services including insurance services; this means that consumers are increasingly faced with complex set of options and decisions. To me, all these pose a number of challenges in the insurance market in Tanzania.

The Tanzania consumers are faced with number of challenges when using insurance services. I can group the challenges into two categories. One if challenges from the service provider plus the regulators so the market point of view and from consumers themselves.

In my own view, I see challenges from consumers themselves include lack of knowledge regarding insurance. The 2009 FinScope report reveals to me the facts that, 14% of people who do not use insurance said that they do not know at all what insurance is, 12% said they do not know how to go about it, 16% do not know how to buy it.

Therefore, the know-how in using insurance among Tanzania consumers has been of great essence. And since they lack this, this brings in a great challenge to consumers.

Again with FinScope report on 2009, depicts that 17.4% of Tanzania consumers never heard of insurance phrase at all while the 39.0% heard the word but they do not know what it is and 43.5% heard about it and know what it is! Therefore, more than 50% lack knowledge of insurance.

Another challenge I see with the consumers is bad belief concerning Insurance in general. For few Tanzanians who have little knowledge of insurance who despite of the little knowledge they have, are still not using it believing that insurance services are meant for rich people and since they are not rich, they belief that it was never meant for them.

Also due to religious belief people who have been taught to keep their faith to their God and not in human beings and so buying insurance policy means keeping your faith in insurance companies which is a sin. Also buying insurance policy is believed to predict ones death (for life insurance) or loss/damage (for property) and so doing so is calling a bad lack to oneself. I see this as a challenge which face consumers when use insurance services and this particular challenge hinder them from utilize the services.

There is also a bad look/ conception of insurance companies by the consumers. Some consumers see the companies as “conning” companies and so by no means do they want to buy insurance policy. They think asking someone to insure the house against fire accident for instance and what will happen to their money if their house doesn’t get fire outbreak?! To me, this seems as, these consumers believe that, the companies want them to insure over things which the possibility of them happening is either not there or zero point zero zero one something, and therefore getting money from them (consumers) is like conning them.

All these, but to mention a few, on my view, are some of the Tanzania consumers’ beliefs when thinking of using insurance services.

Understanding of terminologies used in insurance policy has as well being a big challenge among Tanzania consumers who utilize insurance services in Tanzania. Due to this problem, some have found themselves buying the policy they actually never intended to buy. For example in failure to understand the terms used, one may decide to buy a cheaper policy which will not cover all that s/he wants it to and when this person incur an accident and the insurance company refuses to pay off on the ground that the policy does not cover the loss incurred, the policy holder complains. But all is due to misunderstanding of the terminologies and to me this is a crucial challenge to consumers.

On the other hand, there are challenges from the market side. I have included the challenge from the insurance providers, the regulatory bodies and other market players. These challenges include but not limited to the following;

Non disclosure of information by the insurance brokers, when the consumers buy the insurance policy there are information which may make the insured think twice on whether to buy the policy or not, these info are not well explained to the consumers. Also I see the possibility of consumer hiding some information but on my view, if consumers would be well informed of the effects of non disclosure, they would act differently.

On my view, there is an issue of delay in meeting the claims of consumers who are entitled to redress from the insurer. There is a time frame prescribed for insurance claims to be met, but due to already mentioned lack of information to consumers, the insurance service providers do not comply with such requirement.

According to the new Insurance Act, s.131 the insurer is required to pay the claim within 45 days from the date of receipt of executed discharge.

Nonpayment of insurance claims is yet another challenge facing Tanzania consumers using insurance services. I am distinguishing between delay in making payments/redress and total refusal to pay. Some consumers who incur losses which are covered by their insurance policy but the companies find a way to abstain from paying the insured. This is challenge to insurance service users and a discouragement to others who are yet to use the services. On my view, this might be the sole reason why other consumers view these service providers as con companies.

As far as legal position is concerned, most of the insurance service consumers are not aware of their legal rights and responsibilities under the insurance law and policy. The concerned body has so far put into place the program which will be helping the consumers understand this law and the regulatory body established under it, and this is none other than the Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA).

Since the law is not known to the insurance service users, the one who are aware of the service and utilize it are no aware of where to go in case the insurance contract seem to be ambiguous to him or more beneficial to the insurer than the policy holder. They think having an option to go choose another insurer, automatic discharges his right to complain over the unfair terms of contract offered to him by the insurer.

The law clearly explain that the commissioner of TIRA has power to delete or amend obscure or ambiguous terms in contracts of insurance [s.11 (d) ii], or items and conditions in the contract which are unfair or oppressive to the policy holder/consumer [s.11 (d) iii]. To simplify and clarify the terms and conditions of insurance contract can as well be done by the commissioner. I can see the challenge to the consumers is the fact that these and more other things of their favour provided in the new Insurance Act are not known to them.

Tanzania Consumer Advocacy Society (TCAS) as the only consumer private organization in Tanzania is doing all it can to ensure consumers are protected and with regard to insurance service consumers, TCAS is running a big campaign which was preceded my consumer need assessment which had revealed most of the issues raised here. The need assessment has enabled the organization to identify the need of insurance service users.

The campaign supported by DFID under the Financial Education Fund, TCAS together with the London based organization known as Consumers International (CI) and other financial education experts like Microfinance Opportunities as well as ESF Apex Strategies are providing financial education to Dar es Salaam consumers as well as providing free consumer advice in the center established known as Consumer Advice Centre (CAC).

This campaign among other things will help the consumers of financial services in Dar es Salaam and neighboring regions to understand the challenges ahead of them and how to go through, the law, policy, and regulation as well as to know regulating bodies in place and what are the consumers’ position.

TCAS campaign will go hand in hand with the establishment of Consumer Advice Center which will be providing free consumer advice on financial matter, and this will not exclude consumers who visit CAC for other non financial related matters.

All that TCAS is doing is to supplement what the government has started or is doing in ensuring that consumers who are utilizing insurance services are protected and informed. The Insurance Supervisory Department launched financial education program in 2009 adhering with the Second Generation Financial Sector Reform Program (SGFSP)’s advice on the same.

CONCLUSION
On my personal view, as TCAS project consumer advisor on legal matter, with regard to challenges facing Tanzania consumers when utilizing insurance services are as outlined above. The challenges show that all market players are concerned in one way or another. This is because, all players have their role to play in ensuring that the market practices are not abused by any of them.

Legal and institutional frameworks are important reforms in encounter these challenges. Having legal and institution frameworks reformed but not known to the people to me is an incomplete action taken.

The work of making the institution known not necessary have solely be done by the creator of the said frameworks. Other stakeholders need to put in their efforts in making these known to consumer. Taking an example of the better enacted law and the authority made under it which is hardly known to consumers! The service providers focus on making profits and so they care less on whether the consumer’s rights are adhered to or not.

Therefore, I am calling upon other players; these include the service provider to support consumer movements which aim at helping out consumers to understand their position in the market. This not only will reduce the number of complaints arising between the consumer and the service provider, but also will increase the number of consumers who will be using the insurance services and this will result into increase of profit it the service provider as well as increase national income which in turn will come back to the consumers in the form of social services.

I believe the say “together we stand, and separate we fall” with this in mind, let’s all players join our efforts together in helping the consumers overcome the market challenges since, together, at the end of the day, all of us are going to be beneficiaries of whatever efforts we are putting in.

Importation of counterfeit products in Tanzania: What should be done?

By Japhet Makongo –
He Shared his feeling through the Foundation for Civil Society mail page on 26th.Aug.2010

This is a very good and timely topic. Timely in the sense that we shall soon get a new government in place by the end of the year. It is my expectations that views given on this topic can be usefull for whoever comes into the decision making ring box.

I have three observations on what need to be done.

First, we know that this is global challenge and it goes beyond one country strategy. One of the reason why we all fall victims of counterfeit products is the price competitiveness. Unless we provide alternative quality products at affordable prices we shall not entangle ourselves from the web. My suggetion is for the government to become serious in implementing the East Africa Protocal on Trade and make joint efforts to produce and market similar products with quality but at cheaper prices. All what the governments need to do is to import the techonology from wherever these products are coming.... and I am sure we can provider even cheaper labour force. with the technology in our hands, we can use the qualtiy assurance and regulatory systems to improve what our consumers need. It may seem a far fetched idea, but serious governments can do it!

Second, we need some immediate actions to the matter. I do not understand why those who are involved in the game even when caught are left to enjoy their harvest with a token punishment? What does it cost the government to wipe out 100 entrusted and selfish business giants for the benefit of the populace? In China, the very country where these products are believed to come gave a death sentenced to whoever was found to sell poisoned milk for children! We may not want to kill, but we can merely ask these people to stop what they are doing by extracting their business licenses and asking them to help build the nation at segerea and elsewhere. I guess this comes down to having a committed and accountable government. I need to be advised...what is wrong with our rules and regulations? Are our institutions that have been mandated to implement these regulations toothless barking dogs or are they part of the game? HADITHI YA KARUME KENGE inanijia kila mara.

Third, it all comes to what people know about the effects of the counterfeit products. Unfortunately we have created the "I Do not Care Society" so selfish and self-centered individuals. We all want to show off to other that we are different even if it means sacrificing other people’s health. I appeal to the leading Civil Society Organisations and professional associations-engineers, doctors, accountants, environmental activities etc to give priority on educating the people about these products. In my opinion, professionals have not done enough to inform the public about the effects of having tons of counterfeit products on our soil. Take the example of low quality of the dry battery cells. You need to buys several pieces to finish shaving your beard and some do not even kick start the shaving machine.

We do not have proper disposal facilities and knowledge and as result they are thrown every where. We all know what it means when they are buried in the soil or come into contact with fire....they effects are is detrimental and yet these batteries are in all retail shops ...kule ambako watu wenye kipato cha chini wanaumia.... ni hatari

We should be aware that, there is not good governance, quality education, sound environment and climate change workshops if people are eating poison and dying! My wit is that lets all go Civic Education and Awareness on morals, ethics and making the people to take responsibility start seeing "us as well as seeing me"

One last comment........ I was optimistic with Jakaya Mrisho's call some months ago to help the political parties to distinguish "politics and business", but as long as these tycoons are still in the political arena we have slim chances of getting through-they are the ones behind counterfeit products including kuchakachua mafuta!
God protect Tanzania

Makongo

Days of sub-standard imports numbered - TBS

BY LYDIA SHEKIGHENDA
25th August 2010

The government is determined to curb current massive importation of sub-standard products into the country by ensuring that all imports are verified at the point of origin to determine whether they meet the requisite quality standards, Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) Director General Charles Ekelege said yesterday.

He told a press conference at the TBS premises in Dar rs Salaam that, the exercise would be undertaken through a ‘Pre- shipment Verification of Conformity to Standards programme’ to be managed by the bureau together with other local and international partners.

The TBS chief executive said the process of securing the local and international partners were currently underway to enable timely take-off of the exercise.

“We are going to announce the international tender basing on the Public Procurement Act next month to get partners who will implement the programme,’ Ekelege told participants to the International Organization for Standardisation (ISO) Regional Workshop on Conformity Assessment from 20 eastern and southern Africa countries.

He added that once implemented there would be no sub-standard goods which would be imported into the country because companies that would be contracted to execute the programme would be liable for any imported poor quality products.

According to Ekelege, the international accepted programme was already being implemented by other African countries including Kenya, Uganda and Botswana.

He said the programme would involve all the commodities countrywide and the tender was open to both local and international companies.

Ekelege said the workshop was a starting point as a forum for discussing harmonisation of the conformity assessment procedures in the region with the aim of facilitating the smooth flow and exchange of goods and services in the region.

For his part, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing, Shaaban Mwinjaka said implementation of international standards and conformity assessment practices provided excellent means of technology transfer to developing countries while assisting in overcoming technology gaps.

“International standards are important in improving our developing countries’ access to international markets and to strengthening ability to implement international trade obligations,” he said.

“Consumers shall have more confidence in products bearing a mark of certificate of conformity that attest to quality, safety or other desirable characteristics,” Mwinjaka said, adding that manufacturers needed to make sure that their products met the requirements specified in the relevant standards.

He said assessing products to see whether they met relevant standards further helped manufacturers to avoid costs of product failures in the market.

According to the Deputy PS, Tanzania had already moved a positive step by actively participating in the process of harmonising regional procedures on conformity assessment in both the East African Community and the Southern Africa Development Community.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

http://www.ippmedia.com/

Automatic Overdraft Protection: Just Say No

By Jane Bryant Quinn Aug 16, 2010

Just say no, when your bank or credit union asks if you want “courtesy” overdraft protection for purchases made with your debit card. This so-called service damages your finances and handed the banks $37.1 billion in fees last year, Moebs Services reports. Most of that money was drained from the accounts of people living paycheck to paycheck.

New regulations, effective August 15, stopped the lenders from hitting you with debit-card overdraft fees automatically. Now you have to specifically agree to the charges, either when you open an account or by signing up for the program later. But who would agree to these abusive fees if he or she knew all the facts? There are cheaper ways than this one of getting the protection you want.

The automatic overdraft started about a decade ago. Until then, banks turned down debit-card purchases if you didn’t have enough money in your checking account to cover the bill. The same was true if you tried to overdraw your account at an ATM. “Sorry,” the screen said, “you don’t have the scratch.” That’s the way prudent money management is supposed to work.

Then the banks had a Eureka moment. Instead of turning you down, they let you overspend and charged you a “courtesy fee” for letting the transaction go through. Moebs puts the median fee at $27 for every overdraft, even if the bill runs just $1 or $5 over the amount you have in your account. Some banks charge the fee if you’re a penny over. Effectively, you’re getting very short-term credit at effective interest rates that reach the high triple digits.

At the big banks that allow overdrafts, the median fee is $35. They charge another $7 to $36 if you don’t repay the overdraft within a few days, according to a 2010 survey by the Consumer Federation of America. (Citibank never allowed debit-card overdrafts unless you arranged for some sort of backup line. Bank of America recently ended them.)

There are much better ways of getting overdraft protection from banks, which are detailed below. But don’t expect banks to volunteer that information. They’re engaged in aggressive marketing campaigns to sell you on the “courtesy” program that will cost you the most.

In their marketing calls, emails and brochures, they grab you with anecdotes. For example, they warn that — without the program — you might have a debit card refused at the grocery checkout because you’re overdrawn by the cost of a $1.50 tin of tuna. Ooooo, that sounds bad, so you sign up.

Personally, I’d rather put the tuna fish back than pay a $35 overdraft charge.

The tuna fish is the least of it. If you left the grocer and used your debit card for coffee and donuts on the way home, that’s another $35 in overdraft fees. A stop at the drugstore for vitamins and aspirin would cost you another $35. You’ve just racked up $105 in penalties, for minor expenditures that you wouldn’t have made if you’d known about the fees. And you won’t know they were overdrafts until you log into your online account or get a letter or email from the bank.

The banks mislead you by saying things like, “Act now, or your debit card transactions will be denied,” according to Linda Sherry, spokesperson for Consumer Action. “You think you’ll be in trouble if you don’t sign up. They don’t explain that the reason for the denial is that you don’t have the money in your account.”

They also say, “Sign up, if you like the way your account is working now.” Most customers rarely experience overdrafts, so they might accept the program without realizing the size of the fees they’re potentially exposed to.

If you want overdraft protection, and many of us do, there are three cheaper ways of getting it. First, put money into a savings account and link it to your checking account. If you overdraw, the bank will take the needed money out of your savings, charging perhaps $5 for the transfer. Alternatively, sign up for a personal line of credit to be used for overdrafts, or link your checking account to a line of credit on your credit card. These are all better choices than the “courtesy” overdrafts that drill into your wallet.

What if you have no savings and don’t qualify for a line of credit? You’re better off having excessive transactions turned down, says Rebecca Borne, senior policy counsel at the Center for Responsible Lending. Serial overdraft fees just make it harder to pay future bills.

The new regulations cover only debit-card purchases and ATM withdrawals. Banks and credit unions still levy expensive overdraft fees if they honor a check that you wrote for more money than you have in your account. The same is true if you’ve signed up for automatic bill payments and can’t cover the debit when it’s due. To opt out of these fees — and still have protection — you have to call the bank and say that you want one of the three cheaper options instead.

You might think that you can avoid overdrafts by keeping your check register up to date or monitoring your account online. But it’s not that easy. There’s another piece to this story of abuse — and another reason to say no to automatic debit-card overdrafts.

About half of the banks (and most of the big ones) “engineer” the way they cover debits, to make it more likely that you’ll have to pay multiple fees. As a result, you can rack up 10 or more $35 fees in a single day, from a string of small purchases that you thought you had enough money to cover.

A recent court decision, in a class action lawsuit, called this bank practice “gouging and profiteering.” That’s a story for next time.

More on MoneyWatch:

Five Ways the Financial Reform Law Changes Your Money Habits

Financial Reform: A Big Win for Consumers, a Big Loss for Investors

The Dangers of Using a Debit Card

U.N. Affirms Human Right to Water

For Immediate Release:
July 29, 2010

Contact: Christina Rossi, 617-447-2540

NEW YORK, NY– In a historic vote, the United Nations General Assembly affirmed the human right to water and sanitation, citing concerns that nearly 900 million people worldwide lack access to clean water.

The 192-member Assembly also called on United Nations Member States and international organizations to offer funding, technology and other resources to help developing countries scale up their efforts to provide clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for everyone.

The Assembly resolution, championed by Bolivia with over 40 cosponsors, received 122 votes in favor and zero votes against, while 41 countries abstained from voting. The United States abstained, but issued a statement in support of the overall effort to realize the human right to water.

“The General Assembly vote is a clear victory for the water justice movement and will help ensure that international regulatory bodies and national governments fully recognize the human right to water and begin to work towards fulfilling their obligations with respect to providing clean water and sanitation to those lacking,” said Kelle Louaillier, executive director of Corporate Accountability International.

The text of the resolution expresses deep concern that an estimated 884 million people lack access to safe drinking water and a total of more than 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation. Studies also indicate about 1.5 million children under the age of five die each year because of water- and sanitation-related diseases.

The resolution states that “the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation is a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of the right to life.”
The resolution also welcomes the U.N. Human Rights Council’s request that Catarina de Albuquerque, the U.N. Independent Expert on the issue of human rights obligations related to access to safe drinking water and sanitation, report annually to the General Assembly as well.
“The right to drinking water and sanitation are independent rights that should be recognized as such,” said Plurinational State of Bolivia Ambassador Pablo Solon. “It is not sufficient to urge States to comply with their human rights obligations relative to access to drinking water and sanitation. Instead, it is necessary to call on states to promote and protect the human right to drinking water and sanitation.”



List of sponsoring countries :
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, The Plurinational State of Bolivia, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Fiji, Georgia, Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, The Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Vanuatu, The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, and Yemen.

Source; http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/un-affirms-human-right-water

Consumer Advocacy Group Roots for Secondary Schools Financial Education Project.

The Business Times July.23-29.2010
The Tanzania Consumer Advocacy society (TCAS) has argued various companies to support its effort to raise financial knowledge and capability in secondary schools in the county.

Last month TCAS launched one year project on financial education to secondary schools in Ilala municipality. TCAS is working in collaboration with Consumer International and launched by Anne Fansen Fund, and is undertaking that initiative to support teachers to be able to integrate consumer financial education in their teaching and outdoor activities. This is virtual to boost student’s ability to handle financial issues after they finish school.
TCAS executive director Bernard Kihiyo said in an interview that sake holders such as mobile banking operators, insurance firms, capital market firms and others need to participate in this effort. The mater is immense interest and its merits effort of various stakeholders, he said.

The project aims at boosting students’ financial capability when utilizing financial service in future. Among the benefiting schools are Al-Haramain ,Azania ,Benjamin Mkapa ,Dar es salaam, Jangwani ,Kisutu girls ,Mchanganyiko ,Mnazi Mmoja , Tambaza and Zanaki girls .

Flora Mwaikenda a Jangwani secondary school teacher praised the program as helpful for teachers. Another teacher named Flavian Samari said the program help to eliminate gaps in the curriculum, like the new technology of Online banking (E banking), and Electronic Business (E business).
The current curriculum has inadequate information which needs to be updated for instance the role of Bank Of Tanzania (BoT), noting that training must include how consumers benefit from the presence of BoT, he said. Kihiyo said the teaching kit describes the key knowledge bits, understandings, skills and value in consumer and financial literacy the student can acquire through studies in commerce, booking, economics and accountancy.

That way they would acquire basic skills related to earning, financial discipline, spending, budgeting, saving borrowing, and other basic consumer education. ‘More so there is also lack of advice regarding alignment financial market challenges and the content with the exist curricular in Tanzania education system .Lack of up to date advice to teachers around strategies to introduce financial education or to break the content by logical and sequential steps in the class room is a problem ‘.he said .

There is also a lack of advice around of appropriate students activities and classroom task to enable students to engage with the content and to demonstrate relevant educational out comes with the financial market challenges on the ground ‘ he said .

The training courses also aim to build teachers’ ability to provide an effective form of disseminating financial education so that student can understand and know what is available in consumer’s rights protection.
When students know what to expect from individual level to institution protection and can integrate these skills to issues of relevance to classrooms review on the subject, it would add students understanding, draw student’s interests connecting with future day to day life experience on the area of financial matters.

Another objective is that provide awareness of financial opportunities, to know where to go for help, to make informed choices, and to take effective action to improve their financial well being. This would hence improve understanding managing financial matters and risks, deal effectively with market complexity and take advantage of increased competition toward the building of sustainable finance sector in Tanzania.

Consumers’ Habits and Dental Health

From ''Medical News Today ''
Website; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/8881.php

1. What do we mean by dental health?
Dental health refers to all aspects of the health and functioning of our mouth especially the teeth and gums. Apart from working properly to enable us to eat, speak, laugh (look nice), teeth and gums should be free from infection, which can cause dental caries, inflammation of gums, tooth loss and bad breath.

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or cavities, is the most common disorder affecting the teeth. The main factors controlling the risk of dental caries are oral hygiene, exposure to fluoride and a moderate frequency of consumption of cariogenic foods.

Teeth are also affected by “tooth wear” or erosion. This condition is a normal part of aging where tooth enamel is lost due to exposure from acids other than those produced by plaque.

Attrition and abrasion are other forms of tooth wear. Attrition occurs when teeth are eroded by tooth-to-tooth contact such as teeth grinding. Abrasion is caused by external mechanical factors such as incorrect tooth brushing.

Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is caused by infection and inflammation of the gingiva (gum), the periodontal connective tissues and the alveolar bone. Periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss.

2. Why is dental health important for general health and well being?
The health of our teeth and mouth are linked to overall health and well-being in a number of ways. The ability to chew and swallow our food is essential for obtaining the nutrients we need for good health. Apart from the impact on nutritional status, poor dental health can also adversely affect speech and self-esteem. Dental diseases impose both financial and social burdens as treatment is costly and both children and adults may miss time from school or work because of dental pain.

3. Individual factors on Dental health
Susceptibility to dental caries varies between individuals and between different teeth within one person’s mouth. The shape of the jaw and oral cavity, tooth structure and the quantity and quality of saliva are all important in determining why some teeth are simply more susceptible to decay than others. For example, some teeth may have pits, small cracks or fissures that allow bacteria and acids to infiltrate more easily. In some cases, the structure of the jaw/dentition renders teeth more difficult to clean or floss.

The quantity and quality of saliva determines the extent to which teeth remineralise. For example relatively fewer caries are generally found in the lower front part of the mouth where teeth are more exposed to saliva.

The type and number of caries-causing bacteria present in the mouth is also relevant. All bacteria can turn carbohydrates into acids but certain families of bacteria such as Streptococci and Lactobacilli are more powerful acid producers. The presence of this type of bacteria in plaque increases the risk of decay. Some people have higher levels of decay-causing bacteria than others due to neglected or inappropriate oral hygiene.

4. Oral hygiene and use of fluoride
In recent years there has been a reduction in the incidence of dental caries in most European countries. An increase in oral hygiene including regular brushing and flossing to remove plaque and the use of fluoridated toothpaste, combined with regular dental check-ups, is thought to be responsible for the improvement.

Fluoride inhibits demineralisation, encourages remineralisation and increases the hardness of the tooth enamel making it less acid soluble. The proper amount of fluoride helps prevent and control caries. Fluoride can be supplied systemically through fluoridated community drinking water, other fluoridated beverages or by supplementation. Alternatively it can be provided topically direct to the tooth surface via toothpaste, mouth rinses, gels and varnishes.

In some countries, salt, milk or other beverages have fluoride added and supplements in the form of tablets or liquid are also available. The level of fluoride in drinking water and food needs to be taken into account when assessing the need for fluoride supplementation. This is especially important in young children under the age of 6 whose teeth are still developing. Excessive intakes of fluoride may eventually cause a mottling of the teeth known as "fluorosis".

Tooth brushing with fluoridated toothpaste is thought to be the most important factor in the observed decline in dental caries in many countries. Brushing and flossing helps concomitantly to the fluoride application to remove bacteria from the mouth and reduce the risk of both caries and periodontal disease.

The regular application of fluoride varnishes by dental practitioners is an established caries preventive measure in many countries. This practice is especially suitable for children at high risk of dental caries.

Regular dental check-ups can help detect and monitor potential problems. Regular plaque control and removal can help diminish the incidence of dental caries. If very little plaque is present, the amount of acid formed is insignificant and decay cannot occur.

Dietary factors

Although the decline in tooth decay in many countries has been largely linked to fluoride exposure and improved dental hygiene, eating habits still affect the risk of tooth decay.

Fermentable carbohydrates
For many years the simplified message to prevent tooth decay was ‘don’t eat too much sugar and sugary foods’. Over the last few decades sugar intake in many countries has remained constant whilst caries levels have declined. This suggests that where appropriate oral hygiene is practiced (i.e. regular tooth brushing using fluoride toothpaste) the role of sugars in tooth decay is less manifest.

Advice to replace sugar with starchy foods to avoid tooth decay is of questionable value. It is now known that any food containing fermentable carbohydrates can contribute to tooth decay. This means that as well as sweets and confectionery, pasta, rice, potato crisps, fruits, and even bread can set the scene for demineralisation. For example, a study testing the acid-producing potential of various starchy foods including pasta, rice and bread, found that these foods produced the same amount of acid as a 10% sucrose (table sugar) solution. Another study found that acid formation in plaque after eating soft bread or potato chips was greater and lasted longer than after eating sucrose.

Food characteristics
The physical characteristics of a food, particularly how much it clings to the teeth also influence the tooth decay equation. Foods that adhere to the teeth increase the risk of tooth decay compared to foods that clear from the mouth quickly. For example crisps and biscuits stick to teeth for longer periods than foods such as caramels and jelly beans. This may be because caramels and jellybeans contain soluble sugars that are washed away more quickly by saliva. The longer carbohydrate-containing foods are around the teeth, the more time bacteria have to produce acid and the greater the chance of demineralisation.

Frequency of eating
There is some debate over the relative importance of the frequency of consuming carbohydrate foods and its link with dental caries. As with the relationship between diet and caries, the link appears to have been weakened with the adoption of good oral hygiene and fluoride.

Each time we nibble a food or sip a drink containing carbohydrates, any decay-causing bacteria present on the teeth start to produce acid and demineralisation commences. This continues for 20 to 30 minutes after eating or drinking, longer if food debris is locally entrapped or remains in the mouth. In between periods of eating and drinking saliva works to neutralise the acids and assist in the process of remineralisation. If food or drink is taken too frequently the tooth enamel does not have a chance to remineralise completely and caries can start to occur. This is why nibbling or sipping continuously throughout the day should be discouraged. The best advice is to limit the consumption of food and drink containing carbohydrates to no more than 6 occasions per day and ensure teeth are brushed with fluoride toothpaste twice a day.

Baby bottle caries or nursing caries is a condition in which infants’ teeth are damaged by prolonged frequent exposure to drinks containing sugars usually via a baby feeding bottle. In particular, problems arise when infants are put to sleep with a bottle of formula or juice. The flow of saliva is greatly reduced during sleep and the sweet liquid pools around the teeth for extended periods of time. This provides the perfect environment for tooth decay to develop.

Protective foods
Some foods help protect against tooth decay. For example hard cheese increases the flow of saliva. Cheese also contains calcium, phosphate and casein, a milk protein, which protects against demineralisation. Finishing a meal with a piece of cheese helps counteract acids produced from carbohydrate foods eaten at the same meal. Milk also contains calcium, phosphate and casein, and the milk sugar, lactose, is less cariogenic (caries causing) than other sugars. Nevertheless caries have been found in children breastfed frequently on demand.

Tooth friendly products
Tooth friendly products are formulated using sweetening ingredients that cannot be fermented by the mouth bacteria. Intense sweeteners such as saccharin, cyclamate, acesulfame-K and aspartame, and sugar substitutes such as isomalt, sorbitol and xylitol fall into this category.

Sugar-free chewing gums use these sweeteners. Both the sweet taste and chewing stimulate salivary flow, which contributes to the prevention of caries. Such chewing gums may also contain minerals such as calcium, phosphate and fluoride to enhance the repair process. Studies have reported that chewing sugar-free gum after a meal accelerates the clearance of food debris and reduces the rate of caries development in children.

Toothfriendly products have to comply with a specific test regimen in order to get ‘safe for teeth’ approval.

What is tooth erosion?
Tooth erosion is the loss of dental hard tissue from the tooth surface by chemical processes, usually acid, without involving plaque bacteria. There are many acidic foods and drinks in our diet and it is possible that in a susceptible individual in certain circumstances, for example, a higher frequency of exposure to acidic foods and/or drinks, erosion may occur. This increased frequency of exposure may override the natural buffering capacity of the mouth, which varies between individuals.

It is advised to avoid frequent nibbling and sipping of acidic foods and drinks throughout the day, restricting their consumption preferably to main meals, and to clean teeth at least twice per day using fluoride toothpaste. It has been suggested that cleaning teeth immediately after consuming an acidic food or drink should be avoided as this can result in physical wear to the teeth resulting from tooth brushing in the presence of acid. Chewing sugar free chewing gum to stimulate salivary secretion following an acid challenge helps neutralize the acid effects.

How can we ensure dental health?
Good oral hygiene and the use of fluoride are now considered the main factors responsible for preventing tooth decay and promoting good oral health. The following advice is also important for keeping teeth caries-free.

• Start dental care early, brush baby’s teeth with a fluoride toothpaste as soon as they appear in the mouth. Do not habitually allow infants to fall asleep while drinking from a bottle of milk, formula, juice or sweetened drink. These sweet liquids pool around the baby’s teeth for long periods of time and can lead to “baby bottle tooth decay”.

• Brush teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. And if possible, clean between the teeth with dental floss or toothpicks once a day. Do not eat after cleaning teeth at bedtime as salivary flow decreases as we sleep.

• Visit the dentist about every 6 months for a check-up. And seek dentist's advice before using aesthetic products (e.g: teeth whiteners) that could have a deleterious effect on the teeth.

• Do not nibble food or sip drinks continuously. Allow time between eating occasions for saliva to neutralise acids and repair the teeth.

• People at high risk from tooth wear and erosion should take special precautions, such as:

o decrease frequency and contact with acidic foods and drinks;

o avoid brushing teeth immediately after consuming acidic foods, drinks, citrus fruits and juices. This allows time for remineralisation to occur.

Fluoride mouthwashes and sugar-free chewing gum may be useful after taking acidic food or drinks as they encourage remineralisation.

• Sugar-free chewing gum is “toothfriendly” as it helps increase saliva flow and clears food debris from the mouth.

Good dental health is the responsibility of individuals, communities and governments although their relative importance varies. For example in some European countries water fluoridation is not yet publicly acceptable and so responsibility for preventing tooth decay lies largely with the individual.

Dental professionals play an essential role in monitoring dental health and treating or preventing any problems. Access to good dental care, including regular check-ups is vital. For some people, especially those from lower socio-economic groups, access to dental professionals may be limited. These groups are important targets for dental health education programmes. Schools also play an important role in educating children on the importance of good oral hygiene and diet.

Women to control $15 trillion of global consumer spend by 2014

United Arab Emirates: Thursday, June 03 - 2010 at 14:00
The financial power of women globally is rising at a faster rate than at any other time in history. According to the World Bank the global earning power of women is forecast to reach $18 trillion by 2014.

At the same time they will control $15 trillion - 70% - of total global consumer spend says the Boston Consulting Group…………….. the story continues; for more details click to below link……
http://www.ameinfo.com/234370.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=650&width=850