National quality policy on the cards
Pauline Dikuelo | Wednesday June 3, 2015 14:38
The policy is part of a broader industrial plan for diversification and export strategies that seek the development of quality products and services to enhance trade.
These would ultimately underpin socio-economic development. Speaking at a validation workshop, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Wamasego Senegelo said the policy should recognise and support the private sector initiatives on issues of quality. Also it would ensure the gaps and overlaps in the regulatory activities are minimised. “Due to emerging trends in the sub-standard products and services in the local market, an urgent need is required to enhance the protection of consumers and establish a strong effective regulatory mechanism to ensure minimisation of inferior products and services penetrating the markets,” she said.
The policy is also expected to complement existing policies that are implemented by various government agencies and facilitate Botswana’s compliance with international and regional protocols connecting the local policy environment with the external obligations in an effective manner. Senegelo further urged that when reviewing the policy, it should be considered whether a limited number of authorities would be a preferable model, taking into account the associated costs.
Also they should consider if a single regulatory authority would be the best approach to dealing with the technical regulatory regime.
For his part, international consultant at the International Trade Centre (ITC), Martin Kellermann said the existing policies that regulate quality issues have some bottlenecks that need to be ironed out in the draft policy. He said Botswana’s technical regulation regime is fragmented and overlapping, adding that the existing one was developed by BOBS five years ago and requires neutralisation.
Kellermann revealed that the Botswana national trade policy is viable and vibrant. However, he said the policy is incomplete and requires an effective National Quality Infrastructure and Trade Regulation regime that he said Botswana has not fully complied with.
“For example, there is no activity in the national veterinary laboratories, even the department of geological surveys faces challenges when it comes to accreditation and this needs to be addressed,” said Kellermann.
The draft policy is expected to strengthen the quality infrastructure institutions and support economic operators and exporters. It will be passed on to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and cabinet for approval. The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and European Union Technical Barriers to Trade (ACP-EU-TBT) programme fund the development of the National Quality Policy project.