The Private Sector Federation has signed a partnership agreement with Rwanda Standards Board to enhance standardisation of local products and services to boost their competitiveness globally.

The deal was signed by PSF chief executive Stephen Ruzibiza and RSB director-general Raymond Murenzi.

It also seeks to establish long-term partnership between the two organisations and a roadmap on how to facilitate local investors through a conducive environment.

The agreement will help equip the business community with knowledge and common understanding of standardisation processes, metrology, certifications and conformity assessment services in line with the set policies and regulations, officials said.

According to Ruzibiza, both parties will work closely in educating and sensitising the private sector about the importance of standardisation towards improving competitiveness.

"We want to facilitate our exporters and importers to comply with the national, regional and international standards which will help them to compete at the international market,” he said at the signing ceremony held at PSF headquarters in Gikondo on Thursday.

According to the deal, the two sides agreed to hold a quarterly high-level standards meeting to discuss issues that hamper business operations originating from policies and regulatory frameworks.

On his part, Murenzi said the partnership will provide a clear platform to assess all the issues affecting local investors, thus helping ease doing business.

"It’s imperative to have a PSF representative within RBS to handle all the issues related to members of the business community and this will facilitate business operators,” he said.

It was agreed that, going forward, the standards board will be consulting with PSF before closing any business entity over standards issues.

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