RBS quality marks to boost exports

Rwanda’s exports are set to increase following the launch of instruction quality marks for local manufactured products, Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) has said. Ntiyamira Patrice, the Deputy Director General of RBS said that quality marks are key drivers of export promotion and that his institution is ready to play a role in facilitating, developing and avail standards in-demand. “The role of RBS in elimination of trade barriers is issuance of marks and certificates as a proof of conformity and inspections and surveillances for fair trade,” Ntiyamira said, Friday, while launching four quality marks. RBS also promised to support local industries through trainings and providing information on trade barriers and how to avoid them. Some of the challenges identified by the standards body include many standards on the market technical regulations. Others are multiple inspections, multiple testing and high cost of conformity. RBS said that the benefits of complying with standards’ requirements far outweigh the cost of compliance.Ntiyamira highlighted that trade globalization dictates that health and safety of consumers be assured. He hailed that in the last ten years, companies attaining quality certificates have increased more than three folds and the trend is increasing as more companies fight to dominate the world markets. RBS targets that by June next year, about 55 products on Rwandan market will have quality marks. Business people who attended the launch of quality marks expressed their gratitude and suggested that RBS should speed up the process of quality mark acquisition. Justine Kayitesi, the Marketing Manager of Multi Sector Investment Group (MIG), a company that deals in honey production and processing, said the company is currently using the standardisation mark to expand its market.“Since we acquired this mark we have exported about 15 tonnes of our products and the trend is expected to increase,” she said. Traditionally the company has been exporting honey to Zambia, DR Congo and Burundi but the quality mark, they intend to explore the European markets of Belgium, France, Canada, United Kingdom and Germany, she added.MIG is working with African bee keepers from Nairobi to train locals on how to make modern bee hives. She said that the company supplied modern bee hive to 40 cooperatives each with 20 beehives to improve the quality of honey. MIG operates with in three districts surrounding Nyungwe forest with about 80 cooperatives. Dharma Rajan, the Chief Executive Officer of Sulfo Rwanda Industries said that standards have got its own value because it helps to export items with out any problem. “Some countries like Tanzania resist products with out standards or quality marks in the country,” Rajan said. Ends