The Tanganyika Plantation company(TPC) in Kilimanjaro region
SUGAR
scarcity in five regions of Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara and
Singida is set to be contained from this week as TPC Limited resumes
production.
Kilimanjaro
Regional Commissioner (RC), Said Mecky Sadiki and TPC Limited
management confirmed here that production started yesterday and the
product would be available in market by Saturday this week, to ease
problem consumers have been experiencing for more than a month now.
TPC
Limited Director of Corporate Services, Mr Jaffari Ally said the
factory opens after scheduled closure for maintenance and it would be
with capacity to produce 450 tonnes while Kilimanjaro, Arusha and
Manyara regions consume 270 tons per day, so the rest would be
distributed to Tanga and Singida.
RC
Sadiki warned unscrupulous sugar traders and agents, saying from the
date the product enters the market, it should be sold at the price set
by government, which is 1,800/- per kilogram.
He
called upon citizens to be patient and when time comes to volunteer
information in case any businessperson or agent goes against the
government’s directive. He said anybody who would sell sugar above the
indicative price or hoard the product would be dealt with in accordance
with the law.
He
expounded that even traders who have sugar ordered from abroad, once
the TPC Limited product enters the market, they would have to sell under
the indicative price nonetheless.
“TPC
Limited resumes sugar production and the product will reach the market
by June 18th; from that date sugar should be sold in accordance to the
indicative price of 1,800/- per kilogram, regardless the sugar in
question is from TPC Limited or not,” warned Mr Sadiki.
“I
warn sugar traders and agents not to entertain the dirty game of
hoarding sugar or selling it above the price the Government has set. We
will not take excuse that sugar in question was imported, what we want
is that sugar should be sold as per the directives.”
The
RC who is also Chairman of Regional Defence and Security Committee
unveiled that TPC Limited would sell the sugar to agents who are
registered with the government only. The agents, he said, should sell by
increasing not more than 3.25 per cent and other costs such as
transport so that consumers get it at no more than 1,800/- per kilogram.
He
noted that the government has directed local industries to increase
production quantity so as to match high demand in the country that
stands at 420,000 tons but the current production and consequent supply
do not meet the needs.
He
urged TPL Limited to go on with its plans to increase production. The
government wants to see distribution pace corresponds to production
pace, so that consumers get the product on time and avert any shortage,
be it real or artificial.
He
said after production, sugar should go direct to the market and not
stored in the company’s warehouses. TPC’s Ally promised to go by the
instructions this season to deal with the shortage reported.
Mr
Ally said what is required of the traders now is to lower the price
back to normal, calling upon all to be patriotic and not to go for super
profits, assuring them that TPC sugar would be of high quality and
enough in quantity as well.
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