SIX LOCAL PRODUCERS CHALLANGED ON QUALITY.

Morogoro — THE Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) has challenged local entrepreneurs to produce quality goods to be able to compete in the world market.

The call was made on Thursday by TPSF Managing Director, Mr Godfrey Simbeye when he was opening three-day workshop for local entrepreneurs. He said TPSF fully understands bottlenecks that hinder the local entrepreneurs to grow but blamed them for lack of innovation.

"You must take into account various aspects when making a product. Always think of customers who will buy your product", he said. He said packaging should be a key in attracting a buyer, Mr Simbeye said lack of capital was another problem facing the local producers, adding that efforts should be made to support them financially.

"The commercial banks charge high interest rates which are beyond the reach of majority of the local producers", he said. He said TPSF is discussing the issue with different banks to see a possibility of giving special interest rates to the local producers. Speaking at the same occasion, Business Development Gateway (BDG) Manager, Mr Sosthenes Sambua said the number of committed entrepreneurs is growing very fast.

"What they are lacking is training and exposure to enable them compete at a higher level", he said. He said it was sad to see imported products in the supermarkets while the same could be sourced locally. The workshop has brought together 50 entrepreneurs from all over the country.

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MVOMERO PASTORALISTS CRITICISE DECISION MAKERS.

Morogoro — MOROGORO Municipal and Kilombero District councils have managed to stop teachers' peaceful demonstration which was to have taken place on March first this year for what the teachers said were their unsettled debts in the districts.

Morogoro Regional Teachers Union (TTU)Secretary Mr Issa Ngayama told 'Daily News on Saturday' that the payment of 303,456,560.52m/- out of 467,941,047.52m/- was deposited on February 28 this year in teachers' accounts, an act that defused their fury to demonstrate.

Mr Ngayama said the total amount owed to teachers was 356.4m/- in Morogoro Municipal and in Kilombero it was 111.5m/-. More than three quarter of the demand was fulfilled.He said there were 29 teachers in the municipals who had not been paid because their documents had some problems. The Municipal Director called them to have the problems solved and their money would be paid because corrections had been made.

Speaking over the teachers debt in Morogoro Region, TTU Chairperson Judith Sauli, said teachers' debts in the whole region was 1.6bn/-."The Central Government sent teachers' money to their respective District councils early and all other district councils have paid their teachers. The problem, however, was in Morogoro Municipal and Kilombero councils only," she said.

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