THE Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has launched the fifth edition of national quality awards competition to recognise individuals and institutions that contribute to improving quality of products and services.

Dr Ashura Katunzi, Director General of TBS was on Wednesday joined by leaders from various sectors, traders and innovators at the launch of the Quality Awards 2024 competition in the commercial capital of Dar es Salaam.

"Today we are launching a competition that will encourage innovation and improvement of products and services across Tanzania. Through procedures established under our quality infrastructure, we aim to raise standards of what we produce and offer both within our borders and beyond," she said.

Dr Katunzi detailed five key elements of this year's awards, each designed to recognize excellence in various fields. The first is award for the best company of the year, followed by the best product of the year, the best service of the year, and the best seller of products outside the country. The fifth and final award is reserved for an individual who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to quality.

The announcement was met with excitement, especially as Dr Katunzi recounted the success of the previous year's winners. The participants in the 2023 awards went on to compete in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Quality Awards where Tanzanian innovators did well. They secured top spots, including second place for SADC best exporter award and third place in both the best company of the year and best service provider categories.

This year, the competition will be even more inclusive. For the first four elements, we have prepared awards in two categories—one for large companies and one for small enterprises or individual entrepreneurs. The fifth element will honour one exceptional person, whose contribution to quality has been unparalleled," she said.

"The criteria for winning are rigorous," she said. "We look at how institutions or individuals showcase quality of their products and services, their efficiency in production and overall work performance. We also consider how much they have benefited from these improvements—how their businesses have grown after raising the standards of their products or services."