TOO MUCH RED TAPE STIFLING BUSINESS: TRANSPORTER

 Dar es Salaam. A local logistics company, Swift Motors, has cited bureaucracy and requirement to apply for several licences for logistic services as major challenges facing the sector in Tanzania.

The managing director of the company, Mr Mohammed Dewji, told The Citizen yesterday that a situation whereby logistics companies need to seek at least five licences for registering a truck for transportation services has been a setback to the business.

 “To acquire all those licences, it can take one up to four months,” he said. He said the current system of which the licences are issued by different authorities was a major reason behind taking much time before licensing a truck.

  Tanzania is ranked 139 out of 189 countries in the ‘Doing Business 2016’ report released recently, the report which was titled ‘Measuring Business Regulation’.

However, he said, the government has been helpful in enabling good environment for doing business such as prevailed peace and stability in the country.

Recently, the company received the International Standard Organisation (ISO 9001) certification.

 Swift Motors which has been operating in the country for 12 years now, becomes the first logistics company in the country to be certified by the Quality Assurance System (QAS)—one of the world’s largest independent certification companies.