By Frank
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, East Africa Cooperation, Dr Damas Ndumbaro told the National Assembly that both, small and large scale entrepreneurs have access to market within the bloc insisting on them to adhere to the set rules.
Dr Ndumbaro noted that partner states set the EAC Rules of Origin that helps differentiate between goods produced within the EAC region and those from outside to ensure favourable custom duties and tariffs for goods produced within the bloc.
“Partner states ratified the protocols to enhance business as well as boost development. It is the responsibility of Tanzanian farmers to meet the criteria set out in the Rules of Origin and acquire EAC Certificate of Origin to be able to purchase and sell products within the community,” he said.
According to him, most local manufacturers and farmers fail to sell their goods within the EAC due to some laxity in export processes.
He said identification of goods produced in the EAC becomes easy when a product is wholly manufactured or obtained in one country.
Such products includes those which require a single or double transformation.
He was responding to a basic question by Wete MP, Mbarouk Salum Ali (CCM) who tasked the government to link Pemba spice farmers with EAC markets.
The legislator was concerned that despite Pemba spice farmers being among the world spice producers they hardly access markets within and outside the country.
Pemba Island in Zanzibar, produces large amount of top quality spices such as cinnamon and cloves.
According to the Zanzibar State Trading Corporation (ZSTC), a kilogramme of clove is sold at between 14,000/- and 20,000/-.
