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Govt intensifies war against illegal cosmetics
2006-09-09 09:34:44
By Judica Tarimo
The country’s importers and distributors of cosmetics are now under spotlight, as the government’s crackdown on harmful cosmetics in Tanzania continues.
TDFA Director General Ndomondo Sigonda said on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam that between 2005 and 2006 the authority has seized poisonous cosmetics worth 156.4m/- from medical outlets in different parts of the country - namely Dodoma, Dar es Salaam, Tabora, Singida, Mbeya among others.
Health and Social Welfare Minister Dr Aisha Kigoda said no businessperson involved in importation and distribution of restricted cosmetics would be spared.
”We cannot tolerate business people who are so greedy for money while selling poisonous cosmetics,” said Kigoda, as she inaugurated a book, entitled ”Je Nitapendeza” at Mnazi Mmoja grounds.
The educative material is prepared by Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) in co-operation with Toto Group Company, to support public education campaigns on the side effects of poisonous cosmetics.
”Cosmetics kills people - women and men; they are dangerous for lives and health of our people,” said Kigoda.
The government has directed TDFA to extensively embark on an operation to move out all poisonous cosmetics from shops and medical outlets and tighten controls in the business.
”I appeal to the regional committees to cooperate with TDFA to get harmful cosmetics out of the markets,” said the minister.
”We are tired of seeing our people dying of health complications caused by dangerous cosmetics,” she said.
TDFA Director General also disclosed recently that a consignment of poisonous cosmetics worth 16m/- was impounded at the Dar es Salaam port.
”We are working on procedures to destroy it,” said Sigonda.
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