Sh20m fine for every kilo of expired meat

Dar es Salaam. The government is imposing a fine of Sh20 million per kilogramme of expired meat found at any establishment selling meat and dairy products.

The fine, which has to be paid within 24 hours upon the discovery of such meat, is part of a new crackdown undertaken by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, and which first came to the attention of the Hoteliers Association of Tanzania on December 13.

Mr Imani Sichalwe, who leads the inspection team in Dar es Salaam, told The Citizen that the exercise is jointly being undertaken by the ministry, the Police Force, Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA). Mr Sichalwe said the inspections are aimed at ensuring that meat and dairy products sold to consumers conform to acceptable standards. Another objective is to establish whether there are any illegal products being consumed or imported into the country.

However, HAT chief executive Nura-Lisa Karamagi said the exercise is being conducted in an arbitrary manner, adding that the fines being imposed were excessive.

She said some HAT members had already been fined between Sh20 million and Sh200 million.

Ms Karamagi added that inspections had already been conducted at City Plaza, Holiday Inn, Court Yard, Double Tree, Hyatt, Ilboru and Kibo Palace. Others establishments that have been inspected are Protea, Rivertrees, Serena, Southern Sun, Venus Hotel, Village Supermarket, Mount Meru Game Lodge, Mount Meru Hotel and New Africa Hotel.

The Citizen understands that a hotel in Dar es Salaam (name withheld) has been fined over issues involving the quality of meat sold to customers. Also, a hotel in Arusha has been ordered to pay a Sh20 million fine after a kilogramme of expired meat was found in its possession.

The deputy general manager at Holiday Inn Dar es Salaam, Mr Christopher Mutandwa, confirmed that an inspection team visited the establishment.

“They came, but we were fine. We had no issues because most of our products are sourced locally,” he said.

Asked about the inspectors’ conduct, Mr Mutandwa said they were “very polite”.

But Ms Karamagi said the exercise was too harsh. “We deem it unfair, considering the fact that the government has not conducted any awareness campaign on the issues they are investigating.”

She said it was not unusual for some hotels to receive substandard products from suppliers. What hotels do is put such supplies aside and later demand replacements from suppliers.

But according to Mr Sichalwe, hotels and retail outlets are required to check expiry dates before accepting food items from suppliers.

“You find someone with an expired product that has been in storage since June this year. Would you believe them when they tell you that they are awaiting for the product to be replaced by the supplier?” he queried.

Ms Karamagi said it was not clear under what law were the fines being imposed.

“What is clear is that they seem to refer to TBS and TFDA regulations, but the people who are conducting this exercise are neither from TBS nor TFDA. How can they claim to have the mandate to conduct inspections under TBS and TFDA regulations?”

But Mr Sichalwe said the inspections were being conducted jointly with the relevant agencies.

Asked to specify the law governing the exercise, he said “I cannot cite a specific law. There are many laws used with regard to food quality and standards.”

Reached for comment, Livestock and Fisheries deputy minister Abdallah Ulega referred The Citizen to the ministry’s permanent secretary, Prof Elisante ole Gabriel, who, however, neither picked up calls to his mobile number nor responded to a text message.

Ms Karamagi said HAT does not oppose the government’s efforts to ensure that consumers are sold products of the highest quality. It is for this reason, she added, that hotels are routinely inspected by TFDA and the Occupational Safety and Health Authority.

“What we are against is the way the exercise is being conducted and the excessive fines imposed. This is contrary to the objectives of the government’s blueprint that is aimed at improving the business environment,” she said.

For his part, Mr Sichalwe said the exercise would continue, and described it as a “wake-up call” that was meant to ensure that consumers’ interested were protected.