Tanzanian government calls for better leathergoods
The Tanzanian government has asked key players in the leather industry to enhance the quality of their products so they can fetch premium prices.
Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing Permanent Secretary Ms Joyce Mapunjo made the statement on 29 March, 2012, in Dar es Salaam during a stakeholders meeting in the leather sector.
“Despite various efforts at both national and local government levels, leather products sold in foreign markets have remained of low quality thus becoming not only uncompetitive but tarnish the country’s name in international markets,” said Ms Mapunjo.
She said leather industry could have been a big contributor of foreign earnings to the economy if stakeholders made investments to promote the quality of leathergoods.
Ms Mapunjo also said that the government is losing revenues through tax evasion, as some business people are providing incorrect export figures. “Such businesses quote low export prices and volume of the cargo to evade paying the right tax revenues to the government,” she said.
She said the government had intervened by forming a special team to investigate tax evasion.
