In Tanzania, Pre-shipment Of Used Vehicle Stalled

The absence of a Board of Directors is said to have affected tendering initiatives at the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), including the tender for pre-shipment inspection of imported, used vehicles.
The Board, which among other things is mandated to authorize floatation of such tenders, was disbanded by the Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, about four months ago. Dr Kigoda disbanded the Board citing inefficiency and lack of accountability.

The absence of a Board of Directors is said to have affected tendering initiatives at the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), including the tender for pre-shipment inspection of imported, used vehicles.
The Board, which among other things is mandated to authorize floatation of such tenders, was disbanded by the Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda, about four months ago. Dr Kigoda disbanded the Board citing inefficiency and lack of accountability.
He promised to form a new, more dynamic one as soon as possible. One of the crucial functions likely to be affected if the board is kept on hold for long is the inspection of used motor vehicles from abroad. Reports say that the contracts of companies authorized to carry out the inspection expired in December last year.
The companies initially signed a one-year contract with TBS to conduct the pre-shipment inspection of motor vehicles in various countries abroad and cannot resume the services or other companies appointed to take over until the Board gives its consent.
The other sensitive duty that is awaiting the Board's approval is the recent decision by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). The Complaints and Review Committee (CRC) ordered TBS to restart the process on tendering for provision of pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards (PVoC) for used motor vehicles. The other sensitive duty that is awaiting the Board's approval is the recent decision by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). The Complaints and Review Committee (CRC) ordered TBS to restart the process on tendering for provision of pre-shipment verification of conformity to standards (PVoC) for used motor vehicles.
CRC's decision on the matter followed a request by the Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre Co. Ltd (JEVIC) which last year applied for an administrative review against TBS regarding the tendering process. According to facts submitted to the Committee, JEVIC was aggrieved by the decision to disqualify it from bidding for the tender on grounds that it violated some bidding procedures.
Contacted on the matter, the TBS Acting Director General, Mr Leandri Kinabo, said his office had already received PPRA's directives on the matter but cannot do anything until it obtains a go-ahead from the Board of Directors which apparently doesn't exist at the moment.