The Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) has stepped up efforts to educate wood carvers and forest product traders at Mwenge in Dar es Salaam on laws governing the harvesting, transportation, sale and export of forest products.
The initiative, conducted on August 12, 2026, sought to address compliance gaps among traders while helping them understand the permits, procedures and charges required to legally conduct their businesses.
Speaking during the exercise, TFS Kinondoni and Ubungo District Forest Conservator Dotto Ndumbikwa said the agency was working with forest officers from the Eastern Zone, including officials responsible for forest-related activities at the airport, to address challenges facing traders.
He said direct engagement with traders was important in preventing disputes and unnecessary delays caused by lack of information.
“When we sit with them, listen to their concerns and provide education, it helps them continue with their businesses smoothly without facing unnecessary problems,” Mr Ndumbikwa said.
He urged traders dealing in forest products to seek guidance from relevant government offices before starting business or arranging to transport their products, particularly outside the country.
The official also cautioned traders to be vigilant during inspections, especially at airports, and ensure that officials conducting checks identify themselves and produce valid work identification.
Sebastian Daniel Mbebe, chairman of the Tanzania Wood Carvers Artists Association (CHAWASAWATA), said the training had helped clarify several regulatory requirements that had previously created difficulties for artisans.
He acknowledged that some carvers had failed to obtain or comply with all required permits, saying the new information would help them operate within the law.
“On our side as carvers, we also had shortcomings. There were several permits we were not complying with as required by law. Today we have received education and now understand what we are supposed to do,” Mr Mbebe said.
However, he called for further consideration of fees imposed on some carved forest products, particularly large sculptures depicting animals such as giraffes, rhinos, lions and elephants.
According to Mr Mbebe, the weight of some sculptures can significantly increase transportation costs for customers, especially when the products are shipped through airports.
He said traders would continue complying with existing regulations and paying the required fees while awaiting further engagement on the concerns.
Forest products stakeholder Mwanne Mashugu welcomed the TFS initiative, saying taking the training directly to traders had made it easier for them to understand procedures governing the sector.
She said the education covered the process of acquiring forest products, transporting them to shops, paying applicable charges and securing the necessary permits.
“With the education we have received, we will be able to educate our customers and help them transport their goods safely without having their consignments held at the airport,” Ms Mashugu said.
The outreach reflects the importance of improving compliance while ensuring that Tanzania's wood-carving industry can continue serving local and international markets within the law.
TFS has urged traders and other forest product stakeholders to obtain proper guidance and permits from government offices before starting business or exporting products, stressing that compliance is key to avoiding delays, penalties and other disruptions to trade.
