Consumer awareness to combat counterfeits

Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS) plans to use the ongoing standardisation week to raise public awareness about consumer safety.“We shall establish a body to study consumer behaviour and inspect all goods to ensure consumer and environmental safety,” the Director General of RBS, Mark Bagabe told Business Times, while commenting about the standardisation week. The campaign is part of a strategy to stamp-out counterfeit products in the market.According to Bagabe, some of the counterfeit goods on the market include electric cables and cosmetics.Meanwhile, RBS plans to harmonise about 5,000 standards of commonly traded goods with other standards bodies within the East Africa Community. So far, 1,500 goods have been harmonised.“We expect the number of harmonised standards to increase and we are trying our best to ensure that consumers are safe,” Bagabe said. Shukuru Bizimungu, a metrology officer at RBS said that; “due to excessive obsession to make a profit, some importers make or sell substandard products hence endangering consumers.” He cited instances where fuel dealers adulterate petrol with other substances to maximise profits.

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Consumer awareness to combat counterfeits