FCC CONDUCTS AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS IN MANYARA AND ARUSHA REGIONS

The Fair Competition Commission, will carry out an awareness seminars to strategic groups of the society in Manyara and Arusha Regions on 1^st and 4^th April, 2014 respectively. The Manyara Seminar has been scheduled to take place at the White Rose Hotel in Babati District whereas that of Arusha has been scheduled to take place at the Kibo Palace Hotel.

The seminars are expected to draw over 100 participants notably from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Business Community, Judiciary, Regional and District Trade and Cooperative Offices, Police Force, Regional Attorney General’s Chamber Offices, Consumer Protection Bodies, Academic Institutions, Civil Societies and the Press.

Director of Mergers, Research and Advocacy, Mr. Allan S. Mlulla, will lead the FCC team in administering the awareness Seminars which seek to acquaint the stakeholders with key aspects of the Fair Competition Act (No. 8 of 2003, the FCA); covering competition aspects and consumer protection issues; and the Merchandise Marks Act (1963, as amended). The gained knowledge is envisaged to empower stakeholders in understanding conducts that signal infringement of the relevant law thereby being in a position to recommend to FCC or embark on a requisite course of action to redress the situation.

The FCA is a law that seeks to promote and protect effective competition in Trade and Commerce by deterring Anti-Competitive agreements, abuse of market power and controlling mergers and acquisitions with a view to ensuring that no merger or acquisition that seek to establish or strengthen a dominance position in the market is allowed to take place and cause harm to competition process.

The FCA also protects consumers from misleading and deceptive market conducts by spelling out manufacturers obligations, deterring unconscionable conducts and pointing out other elements of infringements of consumer rights.

The Merchandise Marks Act, a second piece of legislation enforced by FCC also protects consumers from counterfeit goods and Intellectual Property Holders from  harm caused by unauthorized mimicking, forging, copying and passing on of imitated brands and trade names and descriptions by counterfeiters who have no obligation whatsoever in the after effects facing the consumer who happen to buy such goods.

Similar awareness campaigns have been carried out in Tanga and Kilimanjaro in June, 2011, Mara and Mwanza in November 2011, and Dodoma and Morogoro in December 2011.

The regional advocacy awareness campaigns form part of the Commission’s overall outreach efforts aimed at promoting competition culture, consumer protection awareness and voluntary compliance with the competition and anti‐counterfeit laws in Tanzanian economy.

Issued by

COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT

30^th March, 2014

For more information please consult

Frank S. Mdimi
Senior Communications and Public Relations Officer
Fair Competition Commission
Mobile: +255784762437
E‐mail:fmdimi@competition.or.tz