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The government is set to launch the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority to ensure that products meet quality, safety and health standards Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce Chiratidzo Mabuwa said. “It is envisaged that the passing of the National Quality Standards Authority Bill, that is, its enactment into law, will culminate in the formation of the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority,” she said.
This was said at a International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) awareness workshop on the role of standards in national technical regulatory framework early this week.
The objective of the workshop was to raise awareness among national regulatory authorities in Zimbabwe on the benefits of standards in regulations.
By nature, standards are voluntary and businesses can only be compelled to implement them by regulators through legislation.
Deputy Minister Mabuwa added that the establishment of the Zimbabwe Quality Standards Regulatory Authority will align Zimbabwe to its World Trade Organisation obligations (WTO).
“The setting up of the monitoring mechanism will not only ensure compliance with quality, health, safety and environmental standards, but the Authority will set Zimbabwe in line with the WTO agreements to which we are a signatory,” she said.
Some of the WTO agreements Zimbabwe is signatory to include the Agreement on Pre-shipment Inspection and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. The Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade attempts to ensure that standards and regulations do not create unnecessary obstacles to trade.
Speaking at the same event SAZ Director General Eve Gadzikwa said SAZ cannot develop standards and also regulate them.
“There has always been a misconception about the role of SAZ. A lot of people think that SAZ should be a regulator. We cannot play both roles, there is need for us to play our role of standardisation very well and complement efforts of the regulator but not to be the regulator. Once you try and wear those two hats at the same time you will have some conflict of interest,” she said.
The workshop was organised in response to the 2013 specific request for ISO technical assistance by SAZ.
derick.khumalo