THE Minister for Investment, Industry and Trade, Dr Ashatu Kijaji, has assured the 21st Century Garment Factory in Morogoro that the government will address various challenges facing the factory without reducing the number of employees or closing the factory.
Dr Kijaji said this after visiting the factory recently where the CCM Manifesto for the year 2020/2220 called on the government to develop existing industries and revive those which are malfunction ones in order to create jobs for seven million Tanzanians, since the government is not ready to see the factory closed.
She said that the government is ready to cooperate with the factory to solve the various challenges presented, including power outages, water as well as to take action against traders who smuggle clothing products into the country without paying taxes and bring commercial competition between them and clothing factories in the country including the 21st century textile factory.
In addition, she gave advice to the leaders of the factory to stop complaining about the shortage of water, instead, they should use the (recycling) the existing water and not let it go to waste for no reason.
She also asked them to consider the quality of the products produced in the factory to be able to comply with international market competition.
Giving a brief on the implementation the Factory's Law and Administration Officer, Mr Nicodemus Mwaipungu said that the factory has provided more than 2400 permanent jobs for Tanzanians.
Mwaipungu said the factory can provide up to 3000 jobs but they were faced with some challenges like water, electricity and even unfaithful traders who import clothing products without paying taxes, thus making competition be difficult.
Mwaipungu asked the government to help fight against illegal importers of clothes who have been selling at low prices and causing the factory not to do business as expected.
The Factory Trade Union Chairman (TUICO), Mr Halfani Mahamudu asked the government to increase its strength to solve the challenges facing the factory in order to save the jobs of 2400 Tanzanians who are in danger of disappearing.
