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SIDO clinches over 3bn/- grant for SMEs packaging project
2008-04-28 09:13:41
By Perege Gumbo
The Small Industry Development Organization (SIDO) has secured USD3 million grant from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) for financing a packaging project.
The initiative is particularly intended at improving the packaging quality of products manufactured by quite a lot of small and medium enterprises in Tanzania.
It is a project whose identification arises from years of unresolved compromise on quality of packaging which has seriously affected export market access for Tanzania’s products.
In an interview with this paper, SIDO Director General Mike Laiser said the project was in the final stage for implementation, most likely operations would kick-start next year.
This unique project comes in two components; research and knowledge and technology transfer.
First component would be handled by the Morogoro based Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), while the second would fully be handled by SIDO.
``The project will involve building of Centres at Kihonda in Morogoro region and SUA University where research will frequently be conducted by the University with view to coming-up with proper and inclusive packaging solutions`` he said.
In order to make the project take-off smoothly, Laiser said that five key areas for knowledge and value addition have been identified. Those are vegetable products, spices, fruits, honey and cassava.
In his view, excellent packaging skills are very important for Tanzania’s SME products because they lend products true value, thus making them more competitive in regional and international markets.
The project focuses on complicated processes which need high technical and expert know-how, for dried SME manufactured products and fluid related products such as juices, tomatoes and others.
KOICA representative in Tanzanian Man Kwa-Hyong told this paper through telephone that he expected signing the project to take place later next month, followed by selection of contactor.
The mainland project would be running with a similar one in Zanzibar whose costs are estimated at USD 2 million.
Mainland`s project component includes installation of training facilities, building and installation of equipment for small and medium enterprises` products in the country, he said.
Last year, food products manufacturing SMEs complained bitterly about acute scarcity of packaging materials, a thing which made some to suspend production.
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