Tanzania’s efforts to attract and retain investors could benefit from stronger access to product testing and certification services, the Tanzania Investment and Special Economic Zones Authority (TISEZA) has said.
The authority’s Director General, Mr Gilead John Teri, made the observation during a visit to the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) laboratories in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, where he sought to understand how the agency tests and verifies the quality of products manufactured or used in the country.
Mr Teri toured the Metrology, Food, Textile and Energy Efficiency laboratories, receiving briefings on the services TBS provides to manufacturers and other businesses.
The visit focused on understanding the capacity of the laboratories to support investors with testing, verification and certification—services that can determine whether products meet required safety, quality and performance standards.
For manufacturers, such services are important not only for accessing the domestic market but also for meeting technical requirements in export destinations.
TISEZA said reliable laboratory services are part of the infrastructure needed to support investment and improve the competitiveness of locally produced goods.
Mr Teri’s visit also sought to identify how institutions responsible for investment facilitation and standards can work more closely to address challenges facing producers and investors.
Access to accredited and reliable testing facilities can help manufacturers establish whether their products comply with market specifications before they reach consumers, while also supporting efforts to expand exports.
TBS laboratories provide testing and measurement services across various sectors, including food, textiles and energy efficiency, helping businesses establish compliance with applicable standards.
For Tanzania, stronger links between investment facilitation, standards and testing services could support the government’s wider push to increase production, promote value addition and position locally manufactured products for both regional and international markets.