Charles Mkoka
Tanzania’s competition regulator has intensified a nationwide consumer protection campaign, warning that unsafe and counterfeit products remain widespread even as many consumers knowingly continue to buy them because of lower prices.
The Fair Competition Commission (FCC) used this year’s World Consumer Rights Day commemorations to sharpen its focus on product safety, exploitative contracts, and public awareness, under the theme “Safe Products, Consumer Confidence.”
Speaking at the national event, Acting Director General Hadija Ngasongwa said the campaign aimed to strengthen public understanding of consumer rights at a time when many Tanzanians still lack awareness of the protections available to them.
She said the commission had carried out consumer education activities in at least nine regions, including Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Mwanza, Mbeya, and Njombe, through roadshows, radio programmes, public lectures, and consumer clinics.
The outreach forms part of Tanzania’s broader effort to align domestic consumer protection systems with the United Nations’ 2025 product safety guidelines, which call on governments to ensure every consumer has access to safe goods and services.
Ngasongwa said the FCC was also stepping up scrutiny of financial service contracts, including loan terms, interest rates, and insurance agreements, to prevent consumers from being trapped in unfair or misleading arrangements.
“We have a legal duty to review terms and conditions to ensure balance between service providers and consumers,” she said, adding that the work had become particularly important in fast-growing microfinance and insurance markets.
She said complaints collected during the nationwide campaign had highlighted persistent fraud, misleading marketing, and weak disclosure practices, especially in financial services and consumer goods.
The regulator also raised concerns over counterfeit and illicit products, particularly in food and beverage markets, citing recent consumer survey findings showing that 65% of respondents were aware that fake products were in circulation but continued to buy them because they were cheaper.
Ngasongo warned that low prices should not outweigh safety considerations.
“Consumers should not be deceived by lower prices, because the real cost may be their health, their property, or even their lives,” she said.
The event brought together regulators, financial institutions, and standards bodies, including the Tanzania Bureau of Standards, the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority, the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority, as well as lenders including NMB, CRDB, and UTT AMIS.
Officials said feedback gathered during the campaign would be incorporated into future enforcement and education programmes as the government seeks to tighten market surveillance and build stronger consumer confidence.
The FCC said media partnerships and social platforms had played an increasing role in resolving consumer complaints quickly, allowing some grievances to be addressed in real time during live interviews and public engagement sessions.
The annual World Consumer Rights Day is globally observed on March 15, though Tanzania held its national event later this year because of scheduling adjustments.
