Traders want EAC uniform standards

East Africa is yet to develop uniform quality standards for products and services, despite the bloc showing intentions of opening up its borders to boost trading activities. At a meeting convened by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and the Uganda Manufacturers Association, manufacturers, traders and customs clearing agents asked the standards body to liaise with other regional agencies so as to formulate uniform standards for the region. Traders, including Abu Ssesanga, a soap exporter expressed dissatisfaction with the Ugandan standards body, saying their goods - certified by the agency- have been denied entry into regional markets including Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.The EAC secretariat has for long been involved in talks intended to form uniform products and services standards to guide regional agencies and manufacturers. However, not much has been achieved but there is hope that a uniform policy will soon be formulated. Recently, the EAC sector committee on food and agriculture developed 27 standards for cereals including wheat, sorghum, maize, beans and millet among others. However the standards are yet to be implemented. It is only the polythene bags and related items standards that have been implemented although some countries are still hesitant to adopt them.Recently, the Director General of RBS, Mark Cyubahiro, said that out of the 5,000 priority standards to be aligned with EAC standards, only 1,500 have been aligned, a challenge that is hampering trade within the region.

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Traders want EAC uniform standards