Tanzania Milk Processors Association (TAMPA) is in the process of establishing a Saving and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCOS). The move behind the SACCOS is to pool resources to help TAMPA members acquire more sophisticated equipments, advance their current technology as well as expand their current production capacity. In order to remain competitive, the processors need keep abreast with the technological changes in the dairy industry.
ESADA through the RATES office sponsored a three day workshop which covered the following topics;
- Introduction to SACCOS and its history
- The importance of SACCOS versus banks
- SACCOS structure and management
- Rights and responsibilities of members to SACCOS
- Techniques of building up SACCOS internal capital
- Successful stories from members of other SACCOS
After the workshop, the District Cooperative Officer gave details on the registration process and the legal requirement of forming the SACCOS. The process of registering TAMPA SACCOS was kick started on the last day of the workshop (November 16, 2007) and interim office bearers were elected by the members.
The SACCOS membership is restricted to TAMPA members and their employees. The primary goal is to mobilize financial resources for subsequent lending to members to facilitate them to develop their capacity to process more milk. These include but not limited to acquiring new plants, advancing their existing technology, expansion among others.
The workshop was attended by 28 participants representing various processors in the country. The participants were very supportive of the TAMPA SACCOS initiative which they saw as a springboard to take the Tanzanian dairy industry to the next level. A leading bank in the country made a presentation at the workshop and pledged its support to the TAMPA SACCOS. It is expected that by the end on the year, the SACCOS will be fully operational.
