Dar es Salaam saved from 2000 cartons of illicit VIROBA
As the government follows on its ban of hard liquor in sachets called (viroba) with a fierce operation to remove them from the market, over 1,820 cartons of various brands of the liquid have been nabbed and prevented from getting into distribution in various parts of Dar es Salaam.
In addition to that, around 1,224 mini-liquor bottles were ceased and left in the custody of their owners until further directives. Officials from the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA), Fair Competition Commission (FCC), Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), the Police and various stakeholders, who participated in the operation noted many shortfalls on numerous areas.
A special team dispatched to Ilala conducted a search at Lucas Urio Enterprises at Gerezani Area and discovered around 1,265 cartons of 12 different brands of the hard liquor in sachets stored in a warehouse opposite to an alcohol store. The brands included Zanzi 174 cartons, Konyagi (116), Ginja (7), Flash Gin (29), Leo fruit (2), Konyagi Spirit (172) and Nguvu (78).
The rest were Bongo Bond Whisky (49), Kiroba Original (110), Kiroba Gin (509) and 19 cartons of Boss. It was estimated that the number of cartons found in the warehouse approximated 100m/-. Beside the sachets, the team also found 300 miniliquor- bottles of 50ml containing different spirits.
According to the team leader, Mr Kasela Kasubi, who is also an inspector at TFDA, the warehouse would be closed using a special seal and the owner was not allowed to move anything from it.
“The owner of the liquor store also operates a bar in the same building with the warehouse, which was found operating before 4pm as required … we are holding their business licences after fining the owner 100,000/-,” said Mr Kasubi.
Earlier, the store’s manager had issued false information to the probe team when he was demanded to show where the sachets were kept. The manager had told the team the sachets had been sent back to the factory where they were produced, saying that it was not easy to persuade the producers to receive the remaining stock although producers did just that.
An official with TRA at the moment was going through the liquor store’s sales books and stock and discovered that until March 1, the sachets had been sold and a stock was taken.
However, the team visited a subsidiary store of Mohan’s Osterbay Drinks Limited located at Kisutu Area and found at least 1,224 mini-liquor-bottles of less than 200ml as per requirement of the law. Selling of the miniatures was stopped and placed under the owner’s custody.
The brands of the miniatures found in the two stores included Grants, Dewars, Ballantines, Jack Daniels, Gold Medal, Absolute and Beefeater. In Temeke municipality at Mbagala area, the team found three cartons of Valeur, Konyagi and Kiroba Original abandoned outside an eye clinic located at Chamazi Highway.
As for Kinondoni municipality, the team impounded 66 cartons of Konyagi, 13 cartons of Zanzi, Valuer (217) found at a wholesale store by the name of Proches Karoli in Ubungo area. A number of 200 cartons were also barred at a warehouse of Kned Grocery Limited. Five other cartons were found at Msuya’s wholesale store. The operation provoked questions from factory owners, who wanted the government to tell them where to take the sachets.
Manager of Lucas Urio Entreprises, Mr Sebastian Kavishe noted that the ban came at a short notice for some of the alcohol in the stores was purchased some months back. “We are not saying that the government’s move is bad but the time is not in the best interest of many who have spent a lot of money, which will now be lost,” said Mr Kavishe.
He expressed concern on 50ml spirits the prices of which range from 3,500/- and above. “Can a young student afford to buy alcohol costing 3,500/- and above?” he asked. Recently, Minister of State in the Vice- President’s Office, Union Affairs and Environment, Mr January Makamba, spelled out penalties for those found consuming and in possession of a sachet of banned liquor would be required to pay a fine of not less than 50,000/- or go to jail for three years.
“Importation of the hard liquor in plastic sachets will amount to not less than two years imprisonment or a fine not exceeding 5m/- Those discovered producing will either go to jail for two years or pay a fine of 2m/-.
Those caught distributing, storing and selling the liquor will go to jail for three months or pay a fine of 100,000/-” said Mr Makamba.
Mr Makamba noted that implementation would consider Section 8(1) (b) and 14 of the Environmental Management Act, 2004 all together with it guidelines and the Intoxicating Liquors Act No Act 28 of 1968 (deals with licensing).
Implementation of the ban will go in line with the Environmental Management Act on the Prohibition of Manufacturing, Importation and Use of Plastic Sachets Packaging Distilled and Other Alcoholic Beverages Regulation 7 of 2017.