Mike Mande
22 July 2005
Nairobi — The Tanzania government has cancelled a licence granted to the Hong Kong Vehicle Inspection Company to inspect used vehicles entering Tanzania from Asian countries for failing to meet laid-down procedures.
Bethuel Matemba, acting director of the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) told The EastAfrican last week that the Hong Kong company had failed to comply with the Scheme of Inspection and Testing (SIT) for used motor vehicles and hence the cancellation.
Mr Matemba said TBS has now appointed Sime Darby Motor Services Ltd of Hong Kong to start inspecting and testing used motor vehicles entering Tanzania or in transit to the landlocked countries of Zambia, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
"Vehicles imported from Hong Kong without valid inspection certificates from Sime Darby will not be allowed to enter the Tanzanian market, he said. TBS grants licence to various firms to inspect and test used vehicles imported from Japan, Dubai and Hong Kong.
In Japan, TBS has contracted Japan Auto Appraisal Institute for the inspection of used vehicles entering Tanzania while in Dubai, Tanzania uses the services of the Total Automotive inspection firm.
The TBS entered into a contract with the Japanese Auto Appraisal Institute (JAAI) to carry out pre-shipment inspection in Japan for all used motor vehicles from Japan destined for the Tanzanian market.
The inspection is intended to ensure compliance with the Tanzania code of practice for inspection of vehicles.
The inspection commenced on January 2002 and JAAI now regularly issues certificates of roadworthiness and appraisal.
Japanese vehicles imported through Dubai are required to undergo a similar certification of roadworthiness as well as certification of appraisal from JAAI.
TBS said that importers would have to present two documents to the Customs department: the certificate of roadworthiness and certificate of appraisal issued by JAAI showing retail price, model, and year of first registration, engine capacity and mileage.
According to TBS, the exercise was intended to restrict importation of substandard used vehicles, help the government to determine the true value of used vehicles and check on stolen ones.
The government is further making arrangements to co-operate with counterpart institutions abroad such as traffic police divisions and the Tanzania-based pre-shipment inspection company, Cotecna, to ensure that importers comply with the new regulations before the vehicles reach the Tanzania market.
In May, a French firm, Bureau of Inspection Valuation Assessment and Control (BIVAC) International, (a subsidiary of Bureau Veritas) set up a $3.5 million testing station for imported used vehicles to evaluate roadworthiness in the country.
Last week, reports said that the facility, which will inspect 20,000 imported second-hand vehicles annually, is to be built on a 8,000 square-metre plot of land within 18 weeks. BIVAC International is working jointly with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency of the United Kingdom.
Jean Spinosi, a representative of BIVAC International, said that the facility would have capacity to handle between 48 to 200 vehicles a day, but charges are not expected be more than $50 per car.
Loicy Apollo, the Deputy Commissioner of Customs and Excise responsible for compliance at the Tanzania Revenue Authority, said second hand vehicles brought into the country posed a serious concern with regard to road safety and the environment.
Ms Apollo said the testing and inspection exercise, which will cover all vehicles on the road whenever such vehicles are due for renewal of their road licenses, will prevent Tanzania from being turned into a dumping ground of substandard and unwanted vehicles.
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