Tanzania and Zanzibar are seeking to strengthen cooperation in standards regulation and measurement systems to improve product quality, protect consumers and support fair competition in the market.
The move was highlighted during a visit by the Zanzibar House of Representatives Committee on Rules and Subsidiary Legislation to the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) offices in Ubungo, Dar es Salaam, where legislators were briefed on standards enforcement and regulations governing metrology services.
Metrology involves the science of measurement and plays an important role in ensuring that weighing scales, measuring instruments and other equipment used in trade deliver accurate results.
Reliable measurements are particularly important in commercial transactions, where inaccurate weighing or measurement can disadvantage consumers and businesses, while undermining confidence in the market.
The committee, led by its chairperson, Hudhaima Mbaraka Tariq, received presentations from TBS experts and held discussions on the agency’s operations and the implementation of metrology regulations.
Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Sempeho Manongi, said the visit provided an opportunity for the two standards institutions to exchange experience and strengthen systems for the benefit of citizens in both parts of the Union.
He said effective standards regulation was essential to protecting public health, improving the quality of goods and making locally produced products more competitive.
Stronger enforcement of standards can also help consumers access safer products while enabling manufacturers and traders to compete on the basis of quality.
For industries, reliable measurement systems are important in production processes, quality control and compliance with requirements in domestic and international markets.
TBS Director General Ashura Katunzi said cooperation, mutual understanding, accountability and transparency were essential for standards institutions to fulfil their responsibilities and contribute to economic development.
“TBS will continue to ensure that Tanzania has a reliable measurement system that is internationally comparable and contributes to the development of industry, trade, science and the national economy,” Dr Katunzi said.
During the visit, committee members toured TBS laboratories to observe testing activities and learn how measurement and metrology services are delivered.
The engagement is intended to strengthen understanding of the responsibilities of standards institutions and improve cooperation between TBS and the Zanzibar Bureau of Standards (ZBS).
The effectiveness of such cooperation will be important in ensuring that standards and measurement rules are consistently implemented, helping protect consumers, build trust in commercial transactions and support businesses operating across the United Republic of Tanzania.