Low quality standards limit market access - BOBS

KEIKANTSE LESEMELA
Correspondent | Thursday June 20, 2013 00:00

 

Speaking at the second DeBeers Vendors Day, Keeper Morgan, Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) acting managing director said less than 100 companies in Botswana are certified to these standards.

He said non-compliance to such standards limits companies' access to international markets.He advised that standards have become vehicles by which business profitability and sustainability is achieved, if properly implemented.

He explained that BOBS has begun a systematic review of the ISO 9001 standard that would be published by 2015. 'This will have some implications on the manner we do business,' he said.Morgan said standards create an environment of consistency and constancy. The latest edition of the ISO survey records about 1.5 million management systems certifications in 2011 - approximately 1.2 million (ISO 9001) and 268,000 (ISO 14001).

'Clearly the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards have taken the lead in doing business in the market place,' said Morgan.De Beers siteholder sales senior vice president Paul Rowly said they are working to ensure that Batswana benefit from the relocation of the DTC from London to Botswana, citing that they have engaged local companies in the construction project for the development.

'The building will be ready by November this year, right now we are doing the final phases of the construction and we expect to see the migration fruition by 2014,' said Rowley. For his part, Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry Keletso Rakhudu said Botswana has challenges relating to quality in the wake of the relocation of big brands from Europe.

'Africa is currently becoming the preferred global destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and hence, local firms must therefore position themselves for the new entrance into the market space, if not for partnerships and joint ventures,' he said.He urged the exhibitors to identify their competitive niche to earn above average returns.