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THE Standards Association of Zimbabwe will soon embark on an awareness campaign to encourage Small-to-Medium Enterprises to certify their products for regional market growth.SAZ Manicaland manager Mr Maxwell Nyanungo revealed this last week Friday at the launch of the Manicaland Agricultural Business Forum Trust in Mutare.
Mr Nyanungo said standards helped enhance competitiveness in business which is why it was important for SMEs to get their products certified by SAZ.
“There is a growing need for SAZ to certify all products especially in the wake of our growing informal sector slowly becoming the key driver of our economy.
“We intend to work with MABF in this regard and certify its members’ products to guarantee them market approval locally or internationally.
“Our SAZ trademark is valid internationally so once we test your product and certify it, the product’s competitiveness is enhanced on the market.
“As a member of the International Organisation for Standardisation, SAZ has built the most comprehensive collection of standards information services on national, regional and international standards.
“We also provide a World Trade Organisation inquiry point for standards and conformity assessment information,” said Mr Nyanungo.
He added that there was a recent review of the pricing cost for certification for SMEs which will be publicised as part of their countrywide outreach and awareness programmes.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries national vice-chairman Mr Henry Nemaire called for 100 percent patriotism from local consumers to protect local industry.
He said in some countries like South Africa and Germany consumers highly considered the origin of products to promote their local products.
Mr Nemaire said by buying imported products consumers were shooting themselves in the foot and killing their local industry.
“Let us fight the economic war by being patriotic to the cause. Let us not buy imported products manufactured locally so that we create demand for our own locally produced products.
“For instance, if you buy imported tea brands, you will be crippling Tanganda by doing so,” said Mr Nemaire.
Consumer Council of Zimbabwe Manicaland manager Mr Barnabas Masamvu on the contrary said 90 percent of local consumers preferred local products but high-pricing was the prolem.
“People want to promote the Buy Zimbabwe concept and promote local products, but there is need for competitive pricing. You look at Olivine oil which costs $3.85 whilst other cooking oil brands from South Africa average around $3.
“We all love Olivine oil, but the disparity in pricing is too much,” he said.
Mr Masamvu added that standards certification was important citing how quality was sometimes comprised in the production line of some products.
He gave examples of how some SMEs branded a product 100 percent honey when it was actually mixed with brown sugar syrup as well as the case in 2012 where a farmer fed his broiler chickens with Anti-Retroviral Drugs to make them grow faster.
“Producers should not take advantage of consumers on quality and SAZ should be on the lookout for sub-standard products especially as our SMEs sector grows,” said Mr Masamvu.
Online Reporter