National projects adhere to standards

ALL national development projects currently being implemented by the Government adhere to international best practices and standards, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Mashonaland West, Mary Mliswa-Chikoka, has said.

In a speech read on her behalf at the Quality Management Institute of Zimbabwe (QMIZ) National Standards Users Conference in Kariba last week, Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said the Government had a robust quality and standards regulatory framework. She said authorities were currently crafting the National Quality Policy and the National Standards Act.

“Currently, the Government has come up with various regulatory frameworks.

“Key among them is the drafting of the National Quality Policy as well as the National Standards Act,” the Minister said.

“Once complete, these will ensure a level playing field as far as standards and standardisation work is concerned.

“These initiatives demonstrate the importance that the Government is placing on standards and quality management systems at the national level.”

Minister Mliswa-Chikoka said through implementing robust quality management systems, businesses become more efficient and produce competitive exports.

Speaking at the same event, Ministry of Industry and Commerce national director of quality assurance, Mrs Angelica Katuruza, said enforcing standards regulations will curb the influx of substandard goods into the country.

“Use of standards is the only defence from the onslaught of goods from the African Continental Free Trade Area arrangements that Zimbabwe is a signatory to,” she said.

“Meeting standards of export markets is the way to go for the country to increase exports.”

QMIZ chief executive officer, Mr Danisa Chinamasa, said: “The conference has been designed to provoke and foster standards related dialogue, with Zimbabwe’s current context in mind.

“This effort is meant to complement the Government’s efforts to create an upper-middle-income economy by 2030, as outlined by His Excellency, President of Zimbabwe, Cde Mnangagwa.”

Running under the theme, “Accelerating Utilisation of Standards Towards Vision 2030”, the three-day conference was aimed at bringing together stakeholders for productive standards-based dialogue at national level.