Tanzania has strengthened consumer protection by transferring responsibility for handling consumer complaints from the courts to the Fair Competition Commission (FCC), Industry and Trade Minister Judith Kapinga said on Tuesday, as she used World Consumer Rights Day commemorations to unveil a broader push for market oversight and digital-era reforms.
Speaking as the guest of honour at the national climax of the event in Dar es Salaam, Hon. Judith Kapinga said amendments to the Fair Competition Act in 2024 had given the FCC direct legal authority to investigate and resolve consumer complaints.
The minister ordered the commission to quickly complete two strategic market studies; one on e-commerce consumer protection and another on mobile data bundle pricing and competition, saying the findings would guide policy and legal decisions in Tanzania’s rapidly expanding digital economy.
She said the government wanted online platforms to become engines of economic opportunity for young people.
“We want digital platforms to create economic opportunities for youth,” Kapinga said, urging the FCC to submit its recommendations quickly to support the government’s evolving e-commerce strategy.
Kapinga also directed the FCC, the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Weights and Measures Agency (WMA) to intensify joint operations against counterfeit and substandard goods, while finalising long-awaited implementation guidelines under Section 51 of the competition law.
The minister said enforcement agencies needed to move from reacting to complaints to proactively removing unsafe and fake products from the market.
She praised the FCC for launching a more user-friendly consumer reporting system, adding that the platform should become even more accessible so citizens can report unsafe goods and unfair conduct faster.
In a further push for public awareness, Kapinga instructed the commission to expand education campaigns through social media and school-based consumer clubs, starting at primary level, to build long-term awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities.
Despite describing the 2026 celebrations as successful, she challenged the FCC to stage a larger, more inclusive national event in 2027, bringing together consumers, producers and retailers directly.
This year’s global theme, “Safe Products, Confident Consumers,” focused on product safety, trust and accountability across both physical and digital marketplaces.
