Kikwete to grace DITF opening

Jun

President Jakaya Kikwete will officiate at the 39th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) on Friday, being the last fair to preside before retiring.

President Jakaya Kikwete

Of great interest, last year President Kikwete toured the trade fair twice, as a sign of the weight he puts in promoting the local manufacturing to penetrate with the global products.
However, the exhibitions started at a low note with most of the exhibitors making final arrangements of the products to be showcased.
A random tour on the first day of the trade fair at the Mwalimu J. K. Nyerere grounds along Kilwa Road in Dar es Salaam showed that some exhibitors were still putting up the structures of the pavilions.
The Tanzania Trade Development Authority (TANTRADE) has said exhibitors failing to put all the structures and arrangements on time will be sidelined from the competition to find the best exhibitor for the annual event.
Speaking to Journalists at the Sabasaba grounds, the TanTrade Director General, Ms Jacqueline Maleko, said it has been the culture of most exhibitors failing to honour the timetable of starting the trade fair as scheduled.“It is clear that the process of picking the best exhibitor will involve only those who made the entire arrangements on a timely manner,” she said.
Ms Maleko said 25 countries already confirmed with over 400 companies participating in the trade fair. Similarly, more than 1700 domestic firms include six ministries and government institutions.
She said the number of foreign firms taking part in the trade fair have been increasing every year, implying that it is gaining international recognition.
For example, last year the number of Japanese firms has this year jumped to 17 from 10 in the last year’s event. Apart from Japan, other countries with greater number of participating companies include Italy, China, India and Pakistan.
Others are Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Indonesia, Iran, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Finland, Syria and Turkey.
She called upon the foreign companies to bring for showcasing genuine products as laws of the country and trade fair regulations stipulate.