THE Board of Directors of Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has revoked the appointment of two senior officials at the bureau and has halted the implementation of Pre-shipment Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVoC) on motor vehicles.

Announcing the steps to reporters, TBS Board Chairman Prof Cuthbert Mhilu said the move is part of the operations targeting to cleanse the standards body which he said, needs new strategies to have it revived.

The PVoC on vehicles has for some time now been drawing the attention of stakeholders including the Parliamentary watchdog committees who have been bitter with it calling for immediate revision of the system. "We have come to realize that the system is of no expected economic benefits and can be used by some foreign agents to sabotage our economy instead," he said.

Prof Mhilu said that TBS has the capacity to inspect the motor vehicles using the DI system, while more studies should be instituted on the rest of the imported goods to be inspected on arrival as it was the case before. He was worried whether the PVoC system could play anticipated tangible significance contribution in elimination of the importation of inferior products.

He added that the country can introduce more stable measures using the DI system. Motor vehicle inspection and other inferior products, according to him is one of the stickiest issues raised by the Minister for Industries and Trade, Dr Abdallah Kigoda calling for the new board to seriously deal with. While PVoC is now in the spotlight, already three international partners had signed contracts to inspect products in countries of origin on behalf of TBS, in a move okayed by various stakeholders while a section of others were against it.

On measures to enhance TBS operations and improve efficiency, the Board also announced the revocation of the appointment of Mr Dominic Mwakangale as Director of Quality Management and Ms Kezia Mbwambo as Director of Testing Calibration and Packaging Services with immediate effect. Their positions will now be taken by Engineer Tumaini Mtitu and Ms Agness Mneney respectively, while Ms Edna Ndumbaro will now take charge as Manager for Engineering Standards.

Others are Ms Matilda Kasanga who retains her post as Manager for Documentation and ICT and Ms Anitha Kaveva also remaining as Manager for Finance, Planning and Administration. Former Acting DG, Mr Leandri Kinabo now moved back as Director for Standards Development while Mr Mwakangale and Ms Mbwambo will be assigned other duties. The new team will now work under Mr Joseph Masikitiko who was recently appointed to replace Mr Kinabo as Acting DG and will serve for six months before he is confirmed or replaced.