Agricultural Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF)
Agricultural stakeholders have resolved to produce popular simplified versions of Warehouse Receipt System Act 2005 and Cooperative Societies Act 2013, print for wider dissemination to farmers and quick reference by other players.
The version to contain pictorials and cartoon aims at enabling farmers and other players understand the two critical laws that govern production, storage and marketing of farm produces.
Most laws in the country are written in English, a language most people do not understand and to some extent even the Kiswahili translations typical of jargons too hard to be understood by the targeted audience, it was revealed this week in a stakeholders’ meeting held in Dodoma.
The meeting was hosted by the Agricultural Non-State Actors Forum (ANSAF) and brought together representatives of smallholder farmers (primary cooperatives), union cooperatives, AMCOS and Region & District cooperatives.
Others included financial institutions, crop boards, warehouse operators, exporters/traders, government agencies, Ministry of Agriculture Food security and Cooperatives, Ministry of Industry and Business as well as officials from the Prime Ministers’ Office.
Speaking at the event, ANSAF executive director, Audax Rukonge explained that there is need for farmers to understand the regulations governing their activities, thus the need for a friendly version.
He said the plan is not to alter the meaning of the laws but to put it into a simpler format that would be clear to everyone. “The target is to use simple, attractive version that farmers and other players can understand with ease,” he said.
Prof Marjorie Mbilinyi echoed Rukonge, saying despite the fact that the two Acts are written in English, they are very technically presented, too difficult for ordinary laypersons to read and understand.
“The decision to publicize the two Acts is commendable; hopefully the relevant government departments will routinely produce popular versions of all such key Acts in Kiswahili in the future,” she said.
Fidelis Temu from the Tanzania Warehousing Licensing Board (TWLB) admitted that there is dire need for such user friendly versions of the law to help farmers understand the concept of warehousing and cooperative societies.
He noted that the warehouse system has been in the country since time immemorial though in different forms but farmers were yet understood the concept, thus a simpler version of the law will be very useful.
“Many people do not understand legal jargon used in most laws in the country, even if translated into local language and a more simpler version would bridge the gap,” said Temu.
Participant Alvin Ulomi expressed concerns over an extremely a few people who have been reached in regard to educating the public about the warehouse receipt system.
“It is important for the public, especially farmers to understand the two laws which are aimed at improving their conditions,” he said.
According to Ulomi much as there are those campaigning against WRS, the system has other benefits but many farmers do not understand them due to technicality of the language used in literatures about the system.
While office of the Attorney General (AG) would translate the laws into Kiswahili the group plans to produce the user friendly version soon and disseminate it throughout the country through cooperative officers.
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