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16th October , 2024 , Hits: 712
The Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon. Francis Mwebesa, has urged UNBS to support the industrial sector in line with SDG 9.
He made the remarks during a press conference to commemorate World Standards Day at the Uganda Media Center in Kampala.
Below is the full speech;
This year, Uganda, through the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), observes World Standards Day under the theme: "SHARED VISION FOR A BETTER WORLD," which aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 9. The SDG9 goal emphasizes building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation.
Each year on October 14th, we commemorate the World Standards Day by recognizing the dedicated experts who volunteer their time and resources to develop standards that contribute to a better world.
As part of its mandate, UNBS, which falls under my Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, remains committed to developing, promoting, enforcing, and providing information on national standards, as well as coordinating regional and international standardization.
Standards play an important role in building strong infrastructure, industrialization, and innovation by providing clear guidelines, benchmarks and specifications that ensure quality, safety, and efficiency. They facilitate the development of reliable and resilient infrastructure, enabling industries to operate effectively and sustainably. In this way, standards not only support economic growth but also contribute to the overarching aim of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 9.
The economic importance of standards is well manifested through their facilitation of our manufactured and value-added products to access markets at local, regional and international level. Indeed once conformity of a Ugandan product to national, regional and international standards is demonstrated by conformity assessment procedures such as testing, inspection and certification, the product will access global markets with ease.
It is therefore important to support our industrial sector in line with SDG 9, especially the micro, small and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) to enable them conform to standards and access these important markets.
In this regard, UNBS has developed, adopted and harmonized many standards to support SDG 9.
To date, UNBS has developed 4,862 standards, which include:
• 1,133 standards in the Food, Agriculture, and Forestry sector
• 1,465 standards in the Chemicals and Consumer Products sector
• 1,488 standards in the Engineering and Construction sector
• 776 standards in the Services and Business Management sector
More information about these standards is accessible on the UNBS website at https://webstore.unbs.go.ug.
The benefits of standards can only be achieved when they are implemented and used in production, trade and consumer protection. To promote the use of standards within the local industry, UNBS has over the years actively supported Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the broader private sector by:
• Facilitating locally manufactured products to access regional, continental, and international markets through harmonization of common user standards
• Simplifying standards into user-friendly guidelines, translated into local languages for easier comprehension and implementation
• Decentralizing UNBS services that support conformity to standards, including testing, certification, market surveillance, and legal metrology, to regional offices in Mbale (Eastern Uganda), Gulu (Northern Uganda), and Mbarara (Western Uganda). This increases access to these UNBS services and reduces costs for those who would have sought them in Kampala
• Acquiring and maintaining international accreditation for testing laboratories to provide test results that are recognized globally thus facilitating global market access
• Reducing product certification fees to accommodate MSMEs
• Offering Batch Certification and Pre-Market Approval programs to facilitate trade, among other initiatives.
Therefore, as we celebrate the World Standards Day, I urge all stakeholders across various sectors of the economy to acquire and implement the relevant standards and this will promote and boost their businesses for a better and more sustainable economy.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and pay tribute to all the experts, especially the scientists, who generously contribute their time and expertise in developing standards to create a better world for all.
I also encourage the public to be vigilant, demand for quality and UNBS-certified products. If you encounter any issues or suspect unscrupulous dealers, please report them to UNBS using the toll-free line at 0800 133 133 or via WhatsApp at 0713 227 580.
In solidarity with the International Organization for Standardization, ISO, and all partners in standardization at regional, continental, and international levels, we can together create a better world today, tomorrow and for future generations through implementation of standards.
Happy World Standards Day!
For God and My Country.