21 Nov 2019

 Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN) helps its 53 member states in promoting innovation, productivity and facilitating trade.

A Consultant in Export Quality Management, Mr Shyam Gujadhur said this when briefing stakeholders during standards and trade stakeholder workshop held in Gaborone run by two consultants from Commonwealth Standards Network (CSN) recently.

Mr Gujadhur said CSN had benefits for the 53 member states, such as meeting world trade organisation obligations to reduce technical barriers and increase their likelihood of being able to export.“CSN helps member states in meeting local, regional and international standards for them to be able to trade easily,” he said.

He opined that in many instances when not using the same standards; countries incur surprise costs as the goods might have to be tested to check if indeed they meet the set standards.

Mr Gujadhur said the standards also enhanced consumer protection and confidence; as customers bought goods that they knew were of good quality.

The CSN set standards also help to bring the commonwealth countries together and encourage collaboration.

Ms Sahar Danesh also from CSN team pointed out that harmonisation of standards acted as a catalyst for business while at the same time promoting domestic growth.

For his part, the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) engineering manager, Mr Obonye Lopang said their primary mandate was to develop national standards, adding that national standards were developed to benefit the economy and the public by facilitating trade and enhancing health and safety. 

Mr Lopang noted that there were some constraints including lack of implementation and compliance.

He said that there were also issues of limited testing capability, affordability and availability. However, he said, they had come up with ways of promoting and making BOBS visible by decentralising sales of standards and intensifying the out-reach programmes. Ends