BUSINESS COMMENT: Industrialist should affix the product quality mark

In order to step-up awareness amongst industrialists on the benefits of applying the quality mark, Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) has officially launched the country’s product ‘quality mark’. The mark which has existed for some time is attached to only a handful of manufacturers’ products, including those of Bralirwa and Sulfo. There has always been an increasing desire for public awareness about the adverse affects of not meeting RBS quality measures and the hazardous health and environment effects it poses. Households don’t usually produce their own food, clothing, medicine and other items; rather, purchase these items. This therefore makes the majority of us consumers rather than producers. This means that consumers are cut off from the production process and procedures like manufacturing, packaging, shipment, distribution and storage which are involved within. Therefore we cannot witness any of those processes, control them or supervise them, and then have influence over the quality of the overall output. We are therefore supposed to hold our interests in the manufacturer’s declarations regarding the product, usually provided to authorities by means of a quality label or any other acceptable indication means. With the nonexistence of quality labels, consumers run a risk of being exploited. So, to consumers, it assists them to identify independently tested products and make better choices and also give a degree of assurance of the performance and quality of the marked products. Quality is what all consumers crave for. The fact that quality is by large a consumer perception, no matter how good your (the producers) product is, it may still suffer from lack of quality perception. And if it is applied to all locally manufactured products, the product quality mark will increase consumer confidence for the Rwanda made products. Given the volatile competitive marketplace, there’s need to reduce consumers’ exposure to health hazards if one is to remain competitive. The quality mark also protects manufacturers from competing with inferior products. The benefits for the product quality mark are enormous as it recognises the regulatory requirements and enhances brand image of the country’s products. Contact: gahamanyi1@gmai.com