TANZANIA: FCC officials seize counterfeit goods

BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER

Fair Competition Commission (FCC) officials in collaboration with police officers have raided and impounded cartons of counterfeit razor blades dubbed Super Max found being sold in Dar es Salaam.

Speaking to reporters during the exercise carried out yesterday, an inspection officer with FCC Michael David, said they seized over 12 cartons of fake razor blades worth over 6m/- which were found in some shops located at Mchikichi, Agrey and Livingstone streets.

FCC is mandated under the Merchandise Marks Act, 1963, as amended, Regulations 2008, to carry out checks on imported counterfeits.

He said the fake blades are different from genuine ones since they have a short lifespan and the material is weak.

According to him the businessmen found in possession of the counterfeits have been subjected to “offence-compounding procedure” which entails paying applicable fines and the destruction costs.

He called on all brand owners to step up awareness programmes for the business community, which is responsible for selling the goods to end-consumers.

“The campaigns by brand-owners are an essential part of protection efforts that everyone of them is compelled to carry out,” he stressed.

David said FCC would continue to carry out similar exercises in various parts of the country to make sure that the counterfeits products are not sold in markets.

The marketing manager of Super Max Emmanuel Shija urged FCC to inspect all shops and business premises suspected to have counterfeit goods since trading in them is a criminal offence. The goods create uneven playing field in business, endanger consumers’ lives and welfare,” he said.

He said they would continue to educate the public to spot the genuine brands from counterfeits.

“The awareness will enable the Tanzania business community and consumers to differentiate the genuine brands from counterfeit ones, he said.

A trader identified as Charles Mseti trading along Mchikichi Street who was caught with three cartons, said he was not aware they were counterfeits.

“Most of our goods are purchased by agents from various areas, so it is not easy for me to identify easily whether such products are counterfeits,” he added. He questioned the government’s capacity to check the importation of counterfeits, especially now when the market has been liberalized.

“The government should have a strong mechanism in place especially at entry points to make sure that counterfeits do not enter the Tanzanian markets,” he said.

Experts say that counterfeit goods will stop flooding the country only after the government destroys the well-knit syndicate behind their importation, distribution and sale.

Highly regarded Tanzanian business consultant Nikubuka Shimwela was once quoted saying authoritative research shows that counterfeits constitute about 38 per cent of all the products imported into the country, adding that the fake products adversely affect both consumers and the government when it comes to destroying them.

“It is very expensive to destroy counterfeit products, as clearly seen from the consignment of fake Kiwi shoe polish recently destroyed at Wazo Hill in Dar es Salaam because one has to pay the destruction teams heavily,” he stated.

Shimwela who is the FCC Board Chairman said it is no easy task controlling the importation of counterfeit goods “because most importers are Tanzanians who deliberately order cheap products from outside so as to reap a windfall profits upon selling them in the local market.”

“We the local businesspersons form the bulk of the people who import the goods in order to get super profits,” he said.

He warned that reining in people who import fake products was complicated by the fact that the whole business is supported and perpetrated by a sophisticated network of people who know how to evade law-enforcement agents.

“It is a very strong network that only the combined strength and force of all relevant government organs can beat,” he noted, adding that many members of the Tanzanian business community had made it a culture to import counterfeit goods. Other experts urged some public officials “not to gamble with people’s lives by accepting bribes from a few unscrupulous and greedy elements.”

They asked government organs dealing with standards and health to educate and sensitise people on such matters.

Problems associated with controlling counterfeit products do not have to do only with the absence of presence or proper mechanisms but also with the manner in which the relevant state organs deal with corruption, they said.

This is not the first time, FCC to carry out such operation in Kariakoo. Late last year the commission impounded number of counterfeit Samsung products.

The seized counterfeit Samsung products included 27 DVD players and 26 mobile phones which were found in eight shops.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (14/11/2012): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=47980