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Over half of imported goods in Tanzania are fake -Study

Friday June 17 2016
fake

Tanzania continues to grapple with increased trade in counterfeit goods with more than half of its imported goods being fakes, a new study shows. PHOTO | FILE

Tanzania continues to grapple with increased trade in counterfeit goods with more than half of its imported goods being fakes, a new study shows.

A research commissioned by the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) found that at least 50 per cent of goods used in the country including drugs, foods, and construction materials are fake.

In his presentation, Prof Honest Ngowi of the Dar es Salaam-based Mzumbe University campus said that the findings resulted from interviewing 250 consumers and 47 manufacturers countrywide.

The acting CTI chairman, Mr Evasist Maembe, said at a forum that the business lobby group commissioned the research due to an "alarming" increase in counterfeit goods, especially imported items from China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Singapore, Kenya, South Africa and others.

According to the study, porous borders are to blame for imported counterfeits, as well as the existence of domestically produced fake goods and lack of levelled playing field in the market.

Prof Ngowi said among the reasons for the rampant fake commodities include wrong view of free market economy, organised counterfeit dealers and poverty which encourages preference for the low-priced fake goods.

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