Dar es Salaam — Tanzania has been urged to look for better value from the market and get premium returns to investment.

This, according to an official will transform lives from poverty to prosperity.

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Country Representative, Mr. Emmanuel Kalenzi, noted that Tanzania is third largest livestock producer in Africa as it exports hides and skins to India, Italy and China.

He was speaking during the 23rd Africa Industrialization Day in Dar Es Salaam last week.

"How can the continent develop under such deals where a consumer pays for every cost?" he asked.

The Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) Chairman, Mr. Felix Mosha, said there is a need to address trade barriers since they have been increasing the cost of doing business in the country.

Mosha called upon the government to take strong measures to control the invasion of substandard and counterfeit goods, arguing that the malpractice would discourage potential investors in the industrial sector.

The Minister for Industry and Trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda said both state and non state actors have to work together to remove trade barriers so as to boost the industrial sector's contribution on the economy.

At the event, the 'Tanzania Industrial Competitiveness Report (TICR) - 2012' was launched.

It pointed out among others the present country's industrial status in relation to the rest in the East, Southern Africa and Asian region.

Some of the TICR key findings show that 97% of the country's manufacturing sector is based on small scale enterprises, with little emphasis put in value addition, thus making 70% of its exports being raw materials.

"The TICR report is a significant input and would inspire the current government efforts to help the industrial sector grow competitively and enhance its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as poverty alleviation," Kigoda said.