The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has challenged manufacturers and consumers to embrace quality culture if Malawi is to grow industry, protect public health, and increase exports.
MBS Director General Symon Mandala made the call during the opening of a three-day Standards Awareness Session in Blantyre.
The session is aimed at bridging information gaps between standards developers, users and consumers and it has brought together stakeholders from the manufacturing sector, consumer associations, and members of academia.
Addressing participants, Mandala noted that a strong quality culture benefits the country in so many ways such as protecting Malawians from substandard goods and building the reputation of “Made in Malawi” products for export.
He said that consumer awareness was key to forcing industry to comply noting that when consumers are vigilant on the standard of products they access on the market, they inculcate a spirit of standard compliance for manufacturers.
“As the Bureau we maintain that compliance with standards is no longer optional if we are to protect our people and make our local products competitive on the international market”. Some of these stakeholders are also importers of significant products like fertilizers, they need to know our standards before they bring such products to the local market to avoid business loss due to failure to meet quality standards. Said Mandala.
One of the participants Leanard Chimwaza welcomed the platform as an opportunity to learn and engage directly with the standard regulator.
Chimwaza who is proprietor of NovaGrow Blended Organic Fertilizer, the engagement will help them to acquire new knowledge on standard procedures, share experiences and provide practical feedback on various matters concerning standardization.
“This gathering is timely, it helps us understand and meet national and international standards. In the long run, this protects Malawian consumers from substandard, unsafe, and counterfeit products like from fertilizer to food, energy products to cosmetics. Noted Chimwaza.
Over the three days, the session will focus on key sectors that directly affect livelihoods and trade. These include, fertilizer and other agricultural chemicals, standards for renewable energy products and standards for poultry, meats and their products.
