DODOMA: Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba has ordered the immediate return of goods confiscated from small-scale traders and issued a stern warning to regulatory authorities against seizing traders’ capital under the guise of routine inspections.
Dr Nchemba delivered the directive on Saturday, June 13, 2026, during a public meeting at Mnadani Stadium in Mgongo Ward, where he was addressing residents, hearing grievances, and resolving administrative concerns raised by communities from Shelui Division.
The intervention followed complaints from traders, who alleged that regulatory officers had impounded cooking oil and other merchandise, an action they said had crippled their businesses and disrupted their already constrained livelihoods.
The Prime Minister expressed concern over the conduct, questioning the justification for confiscating working stock and insisting that enforcement agencies must not undermine the very citizens they are mandated to regulate and protect.
“The government does not intend to see citizens deprived of their working capital in the name of enforcement,” he said. “Why are you taking their goods? Have you not been listening to my directives during my visits? I made it absolutely clear that people’s property must not be interfered with. That oil is not merely stock, it is their capital. Even a single container of beans represents someone’s livelihood, so why confiscate their oil?”
Therefore the Premier directed that all seized goods be returned without delay and urged regulatory institutions to carry out inspections professionally, firmly, and fairly, without imposing unnecessary hardship on small traders whose livelihoods depend on daily commerce.