Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS)
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) was established under the Ministry of Industries and Trade by an Act of Parliament, The Standards Act No.3 of 1975 as the the National Standards Institute and became operational in April 1976. The Bureau was established as part of the efforts by the government to strengthen the supporting institutional infrastructure for the industry and commercial sectors of the economy. Specifically, TBS was mandated to undertake measures for quality control of products of all descriptions and promote standardization in industry and commerce. It was subsequently renamed Tanzania Bureau of Standards through an amendment to the Act by Act No.1 of 1977. The Bureau is a body corporate whose management and control is vested in the Executive Council consisting of a chairman appointed by the president and ten members appointed by the minister for Industries and Trade.
Tanzania Bureau of Standards was established as part of the efforts by the government to strengthen the supporting institutional infrastructure for the industry and commercial sectors of the economy. Specifically, TBS was mandated to undertake measures for quality control of products of all descriptions and promote standardization in industry and commerce. These functions continue to be the raison de'tre for TBS existence.
In broad terms and in the context of the aforementioned functions, the main operations of TBS in order of priority are as follows:
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) was established under the Ministry of Industries and Trade by an Act of Parliament, The Standards Act No.3 of 1975 as the the National Standards Institute and became operational in April 1976. The Bureau was established as part of the efforts by the government to strengthen the supporting institutional infrastructure for the industry and commercial sectors of the economy. Specifically, TBS was mandated to undertake measures for quality control of products of all descriptions and promote standardization in industry and commerce. It was subsequently renamed Tanzania Bureau of Standards through an amendment to the Act by Act No.1 of 1977. The Bureau is a body corporate whose management and control is vested in the Executive Council consisting of a chairman appointed by the president and ten members appointed by the minister for Industries and Trade.
Tanzania Bureau of Standards was established as part of the efforts by the government to strengthen the supporting institutional infrastructure for the industry and commercial sectors of the economy. Specifically, TBS was mandated to undertake measures for quality control of products of all descriptions and promote standardization in industry and commerce. These functions continue to be the raison de'tre for TBS existence.
In broad terms and in the context of the aforementioned functions, the main operations of TBS in order of priority are as follows:
- formulation and promulgation of Tanzania standards in all sectors of the country's economy. Priorities have been established for national standards in the fields of, textiles, leather, agriculture and food, chemicals and engineering.
- to implement the promulgated standards through a third party Standards Mark Certification Scheme.
- to improve the quality of industrial products both for export and local consumption through various certification schemes like pre-export / pre-import inspection and testing, the tested product certification scheme and quality system registration.
- to promote standardization and quality assurance services in industry and commerce through training of personnel in company standardization, quality assurance, quality improvement and laboratory techniques.
- to undertake the testing of product samples drawn by TBS inspectors in the course of implementing standards (certification samples) or as requested by manufacturers (type-testing samples).
- to undertake calibration of industrial and commercial measuring equipment and instruments in the areas of mass, length, volume, energy, temperature etc.