A Mauritian firm Swallow Investments Ltd, operating in Tanzania, has been fined Tsh100 million ($42,731) for making plastic bags banned two years ago.
The subsidiary, located in Tegeta on the outskirts of the economic capital Dar es Salaam, was found with 41 tonnes of the banned single-use polythene bags packed in small sacks at its warehouse early this week, ready for distribution.
Tanzanian Environment Minister Dr Selemani Jafo led the raid on the warehouse after the government last week launched a crackdown on the manufacturers of the banned bags.
The ban on single-use non-biodegradable plastics was unanimously agreed upon by all East African Community (EAC) member states in 2018 and reinforced under the trade protocols to protect the environment. Kenya and Rwanda have successfully implemented the ban. But all countries continue to suffer from the smuggling of the bags across porous borders.
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