Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) has called upon importers and traders to desist from dealing in substandard electrical cables.

The call was made yesterday by Philip Nzaire, The Director of Quality Assurance Unit at RBS, during an interview with The New Times.

This comes after RBS issued a notice in July this year revealing that there were substandard electrical cables on the market in various parts of the country.

Nzaire said that they have since started countrywide market surveillance with the aim of assessing the situation.

"RBS has confiscated various types of substandard electrical cables from importers in Kigali City and we have instructed the owners to re-ship them back from where they were exported,” Nzaire said.

He said that the inspection process regarding electrical cables is ongoing across the country in order to identify those which are original and those that are not.

"I encourage all concerned parties, especially traders, to be vigilant because substandard electrical cables can cause destruction of buildings as they lead to fire outbreaks because they are weaker than the originals,” Nzaire said.

The official noted that there was an ongoing training program of all stakeholders, especially traders and importers of cables, on the specifications of substandard cables.

He added that his institution would also hold a meeting with all stakeholders including importers, users and other regulators to brief them on how best to fight against the importation of sub-standard electric materials into the country.

According to the RBS findings, most of the substandard cables that have been confiscated were imported from China.

He said that if a cable meant for aerial installation is installed in a building, it can easily cause a fire outbreak within the complex.

David Ndamage, of Quincaillerie Concord, a hardware store that deals in electrical cables in Nyarugenge District, said that the awareness campaign by RBS would enable them to identify original cables.

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