Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the soul of Tanzania’s planned industrial revolution, thus must produce quality products.
This was said by the Minster for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Charles Mwijage in Dar es Salaam while opening Mikono Fair Trade Shop in Keko area. “Name any industrial country in the world; the rock bed and biggest contributor to that country’s industrial revolution were the SMEs.
Tanzania will pass through the same historical path,” he said. He said he was satisfied with the quality products produced by SMEs, adding that quality will guarantee them local and foreign markets. He thanked producers who are keen on quality, pledging government’s full support, and co-operation in looking for local and foreign markets for their products.
Mr Mwijage said Mikono Cultural Heritage Ltd must ensure cultural products from all over the country are found in the shop by prospective buyers and services must be good.
He praised the co-operation between the company and UTT microfinance, saying the latter would give the former loans on favourable terms.
The minister said there were many foreign markets, but the problem was inadequacy and quality of Tanzanian products. The Kenya-based director of World Fair Trade Organisation- AFRICA (WFTO-AFRICA), Mr Bernard Outah called for products meeting international standards so that Tanzanian products can be sold in foreign countries.
“Foreign markets abound, but the challenge is to have quality products and in abundance;” he said. Mikono Cultural Heritage Board Chairman, Mr Henry Clemens asked the government to help producers of cultural products to access the local market.
