admin

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) Director Technical Services Mrs. Margaret Lwenje Lungu has called on Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Country to aspire to enter new markets beyond national level.

Minister in the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry Hon. Christopher Yaluma has called on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (SME’s) in the country to utilize the services offered by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) in order to improve the quality of their products as a means to access more profitable markets.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) says it is eager to operationalize the Simulumbe laboratory in Mongu, Western Province, as this will support economic activities in the Province. ZABS Executive Director Mr. Manuel Mutale has said the laboratory will not only support the activities under the Cashew Value Chain but will provide an array of testing services for agro processors with a view to improve the quality of goods produced in the province. Mr. Mutale said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Western Province Provincial office in Mongu yesterday, following a visit to the newly constructed laboratories.

Zambia, through the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has been elected to sit on the Standards Management Committee under the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO), ZABS Executive Director Mr. Manuel Mutale has announced. Mr. Mutale announced that Mrs. Belinda Soko Kancheya the Standards Development Manager was voted onto the Committee together with five other candidates from National Standards Bodies of Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Underwriters Laboratories Incorporated (UL), a standards development organization from the United States of America and Canada.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) Executive Director Mr. Manuel Mutale says consumers must begin to think differently about locally manufactured products and change perceptions of local products being inferior. He says there is no need for importation of certain products that can be manufactured locally as a number of them have passed through quality checks and are complying with national standards.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), is calling for a renewed interest in the development of standards by the private sector as their participation in the process will ensure that the sectors’ specific needs are taken into account. ZABS Director Technical Services Mrs. Margaret Lwenje Lungu has said industry participation in the standards development process will provide an opportunity for innovative ideas to be shared and further improve quality and competitiveness of products and services.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) Executive Director Mr. Manuel Mutale has called on players in the SME sector that want to access new markets to pursue certification which is essential for local and international trade. Mr. Mutale said that ZABS is eager to work with local businesses that are ready to implement standards and attain certification that will facilitate access to more markets.