08 May 2014

The Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) recently hosted a two-day standards awareness seminar for the building and construction sector as well as the hotel and related establishments sector.

The seminar, held in Tsabong, was aimed at informing stakeholders about available standards that were developed by BOBS. Speaking at the seminar, Mr Goabamong Motshidisi of BOBS said standards were developed and implemented to prescribe optimum requirements.

He outlined some of BOBS services such as certification, training on quality, laboratory, environmental and occupational health and safety management, laboratory services, industrial metrology and regulatory compliance.

He said testing services included checking if construction products like tiles and bricks met the requisite standards. In addition BOBS set licensing and grading requirements for hotels and related establishments.

“In developing standards, BOBS is guided by principles like market relevance, consumer and environmental protection, support for government initiatives as well as promotion of trade,” he said.

He added that key benefits for BOBS certification included consumer protection, health and safety, environment protection and economic growth. He further explained that BOBS facilitated development of national standards and did not dictate the content such that the quality of Botswana standards was a reflection of the quality of the input from the business community and related stakeholders.

For his Part Mr Hazwell Nyanda, also from BOBS, said careful judgment in procurement decisions is important for effective utilization of resources especially in today’s global environment.

He explained that a lot of companies end up buying substandard equipment because their purchasing personnel lack the appropriate competence to perform their duties. He added that some companies are undone by lack of financial resources.

“Sometimes buyers simply purchase goods based on the supplier’s declaration. Quality comes at a hefty price and a company might lack knowledge on what constitutes a quality product or not have adequate financial resources to buy quality products and services,” he said.

Mr Nyanda also lamented that the market is flooded with imitation products which do not meet the required specifications, and sometimes buyers are tricked by simple visual inspection as it does not provide sufficient proof of quality. When giving the closing remarks, Mr Moses Chimbombi, owner of Mokha Lodge, thanked BOBS for the insightful seminar, saying it will help businesses in Tsabong to improve their service standards. Ends