13 Mar 2024

For African states to effectively trade among themselves, there is need to continually confront and eliminate inter-continental trade barriers.

Harmonised African Standards play a huge role in the quest for social, industrial and economic advancement as they assure consumer protection, human safety, and the promotion of sustainable development practices.

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mmusi Kgafela, said at the meeting of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) technical committee and capacity building workshop on Tuesday.

Mr Kgafela said the meeting’s outcome was pivotal to chart new course of standardisation.

Therefore, he said, ARSO’s role was imperative for attainment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) overarching objectives of improving intra-Africa trade towards improving African economies.

“It goes without saying that, if we are to achieve the AfCFTA objectives, we need to collectively confront the quality of our goods and services with one voice”.

He said ARSO technical committees were important as they are the major drivers for harmonisation of African quality standards.

And further described them as ingredients for the improvement of the quality of products and services, without which intra-Africa trade may not be realised.

Mr Kgafela said Botswana had long subscribed to enhancement of quality standards, and cited the institutionalising of the Botswana Bureau of Standards in 2007 as an example.

He also said the country launched the National Quality Policy last year, though its implementation had long started due to commitments at regional, continental and multilateral level.

Also, Mr Kgafela said the role of the African Development Bank, which collaborated with ARSO to implement harmonisation and certification of African standards, could not be overstated.

“As a beacon of economic development and social progress, the Bank has been a steadfast partner in our mission, aiding in infrastructure development among other areas, and thereby laying the groundwork for the successful implementation of standardised practices across the continent”.

ARSO Secretary General, Dr Hermogene Nsengimana, said about 22 countries and 130 experts would be taking part in the workshop.

Dr Nsengimana said standards were not only for safety reasons but also increased trade among African states.

However, he said, there existed a huge gap in harmonisation of standards among African countries, which should be addressed to promote trade.

In standardising, he said, countries helped small medium enterprises to grow and countries to industrialise.

He appealed to member states to withdraw conflicting standards, adding that Made in Africa criteria had been agreed and would set standards for quality products and services.

Botswana Bureau of Standards Managing Director, Mr Botsile Kebapetse, said some bureau of standards do not recognise certification of fellow African states, which inhibit trade among African countries, and such needs to be addressed.

The ARSO and the African Development Bank capacity building workshop for standardisation institutions, micro, small and medium enterprises aimed to promote implementation of harmonised standards to support increased market access under the AfCFTA. Ends