· According to the International Trade Centre report,’’ Invisible barriers to trade – United Republic of Tanzania: Business perspectives’’, Tanzania has taken positive steps towards a more liberal trade regime.
· A comparison of Business surveys in 2013-2014, and in 2019-2020 showed that during the last six years, the government took efforts to ease trade barriers.
· Companies reported that better practices in public agencies made doing business easier.
· The report praised the Tanzanian government plans to adopt a national quality policy to help traders fulfill technical requirements and conformity assessments.
According to the International Trade Centre report,’’ Invisible barriers to trade – United Republic of Tanzania: Business perspectives’’, Tanzania has taken positive steps towards a more liberal trade regime.A comparison of Business surveys in 2013-2014, and in 2019-2020 showed that during the last six years, the government took efforts to ease trade barriers. Companies reported that better practices in public agencies made doing business easier. The report praised the Tanzanian government plans to adopt a national quality policy to help traders fulfill technical requirements and conformity assessments.
Earlier, getting an Import Permit from the Tanzania Food and Drug Authority was cumbersome and took a long time. The current online process has made things simpler and faster. A pilot electronic single window to meet export requirements, better regional recognition of conformity assessments, and fewer or lower fees charged by different agencies were some of the significant changes brought in during the period.
Nevertheless, certain issues still persist. The latest survey pointed out that 72% of firms involved in cross-border trade – particularly agricultural exporters – face issues such as finding suitable export packaging materials and meeting international buyers’ quality standards. Traders still struggle with procedural obstacles that stem from non-tariff measures.
ITC observed that the Tanzanian government has to examine and resolve the non-tariff measures that are linked to Tanzanian regulations and procedures on exports. These include obtaining various permits, licences and certifications that currently involve considerable documentation, multiple administrative windows and waiting time at public agencies. To eliminate the domestic procedural hurdles faced by exporters, ITC has recommended the government adopt an electronic single window system, a paperless one-stop service – now in the pilot stage – that connects all agencies involved in cross-border trade. The report also advocated internationally accredited quality facilities and laboratories, availability of domestic production of packaging materials, awareness of packaging norms, and training for exporters. The report also urged policymakers to harmonize national and regional standards with international ones, to help exporters to comply with different standards.
