ZABS certifies 156 products
A TOTAL of 156 products were last year certified against a tough environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has said.
ZABS was still able to embark on some of planned activities for the year 2020 that contributed to uplifting the quality and competitiveness of local products on the market, says Executive Director, Manuel Mutale.
Reviewing the year gone by, Mr Mutale said that a total of 156 products were certified, bringing the cumulative number of certified products in the country to 371.
“Our target at the beginning of the year was to certify 150 products, and I am glad to report that we certified a total of 156 products representing 104 percent achievement. This brings the cumulative total of certified products in the country to 371,” Mr Mutale said in response to a press query.
Mr Mutale said the demand for standards last year was high, increasing the number of published standards, thereby recording 380 against a
target of 280.
ZABS, he said, was assured that products would continue to conform to performance, quality, and safety requirements knowing that there were standards in place to support the various sectors of the economy.
On the testing front, Mr Mutale said ZABS recorded a 68 percent achievement against the target of 8,900 samples.
“Our laboratories serve an important role in identifying potential risks and ascertaining the quality of products which our clients use for decision making. In the year under review, we recorded 6 065 samples analyzed against a target of 8,900 samples.
“We have increased our testing capacity in the petroleum laboratory by purchasing new equipment that we hope to commission before the end of
February. With this piece of equipment, we will be able to offer comprehensive tests in the petroleum industry,” he said.
He said ZABS scaled up its support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Mr Mutale said this was done by conducting training to 199 SMEs in peanut butter production, Wine production, Honey production, and meat and meat products processing.
“With our mandate streamlined to support the industry’s growth and competitiveness, we will focus on ensuring that challenges faced in relation to compliance, quality, and safety are addressed through the services that we will offer,” Mr Mutale said.