The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has issued a call to all supermarket owners, urging them to prioritize the stocking of certified locally manufactured products and inspected imported commodities. This initiative, aimed at enhancing consumer protection and ensuring product quality, underscores UNBS’s commitment to facilitating trade, enforcing standards, and safeguarding public health, safety, and the environment from hazardous and substandard products.
To further support this mission, UNBS has introduced the Digital Conformity Marking (DCM) program, a technology-driven initiative designed to provide consumers, supermarkets, and other retail outlets with a reliable means of distinguishing between certified and substandard commodities. The program, launched during a stakeholder engagement session with supermarket owners and operators in the central region, offers a track-and-trace mechanism to verify product certification and quality.
Speaking at the engagement session, Patricia Bageine Ejalu, the deputy Executive Director in charge of Standards at UNBS, emphasized the importance of ensuring that all products on supermarket shelves are certified and safe for consumers. The DCM program issues Digital Conformity Marks/Stamps to certified commodities, containing essential information such as product details, certification date, batch number, and manufacturer’s name. Consumers and supermarket owners can utilize the Kakasa App to scan these stamps and verify product authenticity.
The DCM program currently covers three commodity categories: construction materials, electrical commodities, and cosmetics. Each digital conformity mark costs UGX 21 and is expected to streamline business operations, particularly for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), by reducing certification costs and enhancing market competitiveness.
In addition to promoting certified products, UNBS also emphasized the importance of avoiding stocking expired goods and tampering with expiry dates. Daniel Arorwa, Manager Market Surveillance at UNBS, reiterated the dangers posed by expired products to public health and warned against altering expiry dates, emphasizing that such actions are illegal and punishable by law.
In related news, in a bid to ensure market sustainability and foster consumer confidence, the State Minister for Trade, General Wilson Mbadi, has urged manufacturers to prioritize adherence to quality standards. Mbadi emphasized the critical role of standards in enhancing the competitiveness of locally produced goods and reducing the reliance on imported products.
During an inspection tour to East African Medical Vitals (EAMV), Minister Mbadi, accompanied by State Minister for Industry, David Bahati, underscored the significance of producing goods that meet consumer expectations. He emphasized that products failing to meet these standards risk losing market share to imported alternatives, thereby hindering the goal of import substitution and economic self-reliance.
Minister Mbadi reiterated that industrialization plays a pivotal role in job creation and value addition to raw materials, essential for boosting revenue generation. The inspection tour aimed to assess the progress of various factories, including Roofings and Steel and Tube Industries, addressing their challenges, and acknowledging their contributions to the national treasury.
Echoing Minister Mbadi’s sentiments, Minister Bahati emphasized the importance of maintaining high standards to instill consumer confidence and facilitate export promotion. He emphasized the need for local industries to meet international quality benchmarks to compete effectively in global markets.
Brian Kavuya, the managing director of EAMV, highlighted the company’s commitment to producing high-quality products through the adoption of state-of-the-art technology from Malaysia. He revealed plans to double production capacity to meet Uganda’s demand for medical gloves, a significant milestone in the country’s healthcare sector.
Despite the commendable progress, Kavuya identified access to adequate financing as a significant challenge facing the industry. He called for increased support from institutions like the Uganda Development Corporation, stressing the importance of tailored financing solutions to address the specific needs of pioneer industries.
The visit to EAMV provided an opportunity for government officials to witness firsthand the contributions of local industries to job creation and economic growth.
