BOBS forms committee for international electric standards

Keikantse Lesemela | Thursday March 20, 2014 12:37

 

The committee will encourage and facilitate Botswana’s participation in regional and international standardisation and provide feedback to stakeholders on strategic developments within the work scope of IEC. The country will also be entitled to 400 free copies of IEC standards for adoption as national standards.

Speaking at the launch of the committee, Paul Johnson, AFSEC executive secretary said the team would recommend to the National Standardisation Body (NSB) which IEC standards can be adopted.

“Botswana as an affiliate member will sign a pledge to participate in the work and to encourage the use of IEC standards in national standards and regulations are granted access to a limited number of technical committee documents for the purposes of commenting.  In addition, they can select a limited number of IEC standards for their national standards’ library,” said Johnson.

He explained that there is a need to develop the electro-technician standards because cross border exchange of power is hampered due to different standards.  The problem causes a huge electrification challenge, he added.  BOBS engineering standards manager, Obonye Lopang said Botswana will be able to contribute meaningfully in the development of international electro-technical standards through the committee.

“Although we had a local committee that develops the electro-technical standards, we were not able to contribute meaningfully in the IEC,” said Lopang. 

He said countries are encouraged to adopt the International Standards (IEC Standards) as national standards.

Since the International Standards generally reflect the best experience of industry, researchers, consumers and regulators worldwide, and cover common needs in a variety of countries, they constitute one of the important bases for the removal of technical barriers to trade.

Lopang said Botswana as an affiliate member will meet the IEC requirements through the committee as a tool to help the country adopt IEC International Standards and provide input by commenting on IEC draft standards.  IEC prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

Developing nations joined IEC in 2001 in response to calls from the WTO to open itself to more developing nations.

The IEC launched the Affiliate Country Programme to encourage developing nations to become involved in its work and to use its international standards.