Standards body quality management systems receive global certification

Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) has received the International Organisation for Standardisation, ISO 900:2008 certification. Raymond Murenzi, the director general of RSB, said the certification is an indication that services offered by the Standards watchdog comply with ISO 9001 requirements in its quality management systems.

Sunday, February 05, 2017
Raymond Murenzi, the director general of Rwanda Standards Board, holding the certificate. (Photos by Frederic Byumvuhore)rn

Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) has received the International Organisation for Standardisation, ISO 900:2008 certification. Raymond Murenzi, the director general of RSB, said the certification is an indication that services offered by the Standards watchdog comply with ISO 9001 requirements in its quality management systems. He added, "It is a good step that will help make Rwanda’s products more competitive on the international market”.

"The certificate does not mean we have reached where we want to be, but will encourage us to work hard to achieve the optimal rate,” Murenzi said while addressing journalists at RSB headquarters in Kicukiro on Friday.

He noted that the board was certified in December 2016 by a German international certification body, DQS. ISO 9001 is an internationally-recognised quality management standard that provides guidelines on how to develop, implement, and manage a quality system.

Its primary purpose is to facilitate and enable consistency of services and products by ensuring that customer requirements are met.

Murenzi said, "The certification proves that our services, such as developing standards and disseminating information, testing and verifying products and costumer protection meet the required standards.”

"Rwanda has started a new era to build a quality service-driven economy. However, this challenges us to embrace a culture of customer care and quality service in both public or private businesses. Customer satisfaction has become a major requirement in all that we do,” he added.

 Raymond Murenzi the Director General of Rwanda Standards Board shows the media  the International Organisation for Standardisation, ISO 900:2008 certification.

Rwanda Standards Board expects the ISO 9001 certification to bring more benefits, such as improving the standards of Made-in-Rwanda products.

Murenzi has, meanwhile, called on all Rwandans to watch out for products that do not meet standards. He urged firms and manufacturers to apply for standards certification, saying this will assure customers of product quality.

Commenting on the certification, TradeMark East Africa country director Patience Mutesi said it will increase customer trust in the standards body services.