TBS now to inspect vehicles upon arrival at Dar es Salaam Port

Dar es Salaam. Imported vehicles will from March 1 this year be inspected at Dar es Salaam port upon arrival in the country, the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has said. In that regard, the $150 (Sh346,366) inspection fee that was paid in the country of export on imported vehicles will now be paid in Tanzania.

TBS head of communications Roida Andusamile told The Citizen that importers and exporters of vehicles have been informed that all vehicle imports will be inspected upon arrival in the country.

“All vehicles that will be imported as of March 1 this year are required to be inspected upon arrival at the Dar es Salaam Port before they are released out of Customs control,” Ms Andusamile said.

Currently, TBS inspects vehicles intended to be imported into the country using four contracted agents, one of whom is stationed in Dubai while the other three are stationed in Japan.

In view of the foregoing, she said, any vehicle inspection certificates issued by the agents on cars that will be imported into Tanzania beginning on March 1 this year will not be valid.

“Any vehicles that will be inspected at the port and are found not to comply with the requirements will have to undergo upgrading and further inspection at the UDA yard adjacent to Dar es Salaam port before they are cleared and allowed on public roads,” Ms Andusamile said.

She added that TBS will be out and out to ensure that all used cars imported into the country comply with the set requirements of such cars before they can be allowed to the roads.

Explaining the decision, she said TBS have already built capacity of their vehicle inspectors, and it is only fair that they started practising what they have been trained to do at great cost.

“Although we have not formally terminated the contracts of our foreign inspection agents, their three-year terms of service have ended, and we thought it prudent to start using our own inspectors,” she said.

According to her, the decision to use own inspectors will ensure that local garages get business, and at the same time the government get revenues from through the business.

She stressed that the business of repairing vehicles will obviously create employment for Tanzanians who will also gain experience on the works.

Explaining, the charges, Ms Andusamile said the inspection costs that were incurred by vehicle importers will now be paid locally as part of public revenues.