War on counterfeits

The Eastafrican reports that the Anti-Counterfeit Department in Tanzania has destroyed counterfeit goods worth over $224,000.

The report indicates that the products destroyed included Philips bulbs, Kiwi shoe polish and Sony Wega Television sets imported from China.

Haco Industries, a Kenyan company that manufactures the famous BIC brand pens is reported to be losing about $5 million annually due to counterfeiting activities in Tanzania and Uganda.

Another product targeted by the counterfeiters is Sara Lee’s Kiwi shoe polish, the counterfeits bearing fancy names such as Kivi and Kimi.

In Kenya, efforts to enact an Act of parliament against counterfeiting have not been successful so far. In 2005 a draft Bill was circulated for discussion by the Ministry of Trade, but it has not materialized into an Act of Parliament. Hopefully it will in the course of this year.