By MariamNamakula
While marking the World Standards Day held every October 14, the acting Executive Director Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) David Livingstone Ebiru called upon the private sector to enhance business standardization moving forward.
Speaking to the journalists at the media center earlier, on Thursday, Mr. Ebiru said that the private sector was globally recognized as a driving factor to the standardization agenda.
Ebiru added that the private sector truly acknowledges the power of quality standards in market access, consumer trust, and competitiveness.
“We are privileged to have representatives from the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU), Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA), Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA), and the Consumers Association who have joined us to share their experience on the value of standards, Ebiru said.
Regarding this year’s National sub-theme, of Building Back Post COVID19, The Role of Standards, Ebiru also noted that as the body mandated to enhance quality standards, they have spearheaded strengthening of the international area through putting in place institutions in order to facilitate international trade.
He says the service bureau is now in line with over 3000 international standards and has therefore laid a firm ground for Ugandan products at the international market.
Ebiru however urged local manufacturers, distributors, and those involved in selling Ugandan products to ensure that they get certified by the bureau before putting their goods on the market.
This according to him will not only enhance safety, quality but also guarantee performance for the consumers.
The bureau is currently advocating for voluntary compliance to quality standards by the private sector to reduce the number of goods rejected at the international markets. In this the bureau has among others put in place adequate quality infrastructure to support conformity assessment, equipped testing laboratories to fit both local and international level, offering advisory and training on standards to enterprises, and subsidized on the costs of implementing the standards.
He added that this has been possible due to the close working relationship with the private sector under different associations that have helped promote awareness among their members.
Allan Luzinda representative from the PSFU, noted that as the sector they pledge their continued support especially to the small and medium enterprises, however adding that if the government was to strengthen the private sector it needed to change how it operated.
He said that they have been working closely with other stakeholders and currently with the Uganda Development Bank to not only ensure easy access to financial support to the business people but also work on the terms of the recovery scheme.
Luzinda concluded that despite all these efforts, the public also needed to show their support by getting vaccinated if the economy is to be fully reopened.
