Govt to set up standards regulatory authority

Minister of Industry and Commerce Mike Bimha has said the appointment of Bureau Veritas as an import inspection agent is an interim measure and Government is working towards setting up a standards regulatory authority.

Government last year signed a four-year Consignment-Based Conformity contract with the French global company. The deal was for the provision of pre-shipment services of the listed products in the country of export and issuance of certificates of conformity based on the national and international quality, safety, health and environment standards.

Minister Bimha said the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is in the process of identifying staff for the new regulatory authority.

"As a country we cannot just allow substandard products coming in and we need to maintain standards. We need to ensure that products are

subjected to tests before they come into the country to make sure that they meet our requirements.

"We are in the process of setting up the standards regulatory authority that will undertake all inspection services. As an interim measure before setting up the authority we agreed that we must solicit the services of Bureau Veritas, a global company with laboratories in different parts of the world which has made it easier for them to inspect the products before they come in," said Minister Bimha.

"It is an interim measure because we will be developing our own standards regulatory authority and getting our people trained as we go along.

"Bureau Veritas is not doing the tests on every product but they are doing on selected products," he said.

Minister Bimha said the appointment of the French company to carry out inspection services was going to provide a learning period to Government before the new standards regulatory board could take effect. Meanwhile Minister Bimha said Government together with the private sector are making assessments of the implementation of the

various import controls which have been gazetted.

Government will also brief members of the Southern African Development Community over trade measures the country has taken to protect and boost the capacity of its local industry. Recently the Industry and Commerce ministry removed 36 products ranging from grocery items to building materials from the open general import licence.

"We did advise the SADC secretariat well before on our intentions to introduce import restrictions.

"We respect bilateral and trade arrangements with our neighbouring countries and as such we will brief them at the upcoming SADC Council of Trade ministers meeting."