Firms bank on MBS certification
Some local firms have expressed optimism over improved trade activities following their certification by Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS).
Speaking on the sidelines of the MBS 2019 Quality Certification Award in Blantyre on Friday, Mothers Holdings senior human resource and administration manager Saizi Bakali said with their certification, they hope for improved product visibility and consumption.
“Nowadays, Malawians cannot buy a product which is not certified by MBS as they know that uncertified products are not safe for consumption. So, this is great news for us manufacturers,” he said.
On his part, Mecury Products director Mohammed Aamir said the certification will help them deliver products of high standards on the market which will increase their competitiveness.
In his remarks, MBS director general Symon Mandala urged companies to patronise quality monitoring and certification services in strengthening standardisation activities.
Speaking during the event, Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet Lloyd Muhara, who was the guest of honour, said increased number of requests for certification will eventually see Malawi develop industrially, commercially and economically in line with government’s vision of making the country a predominantly producing and exporting nation.
He said: “Unless top management of companies intending to achieve certification are determined and committed to implement quality improvement initiatives for their products and to sustain the same, quality certificates like what we are granting today cannot be achieved.
“Let me, therefore, urge companies that have been awarded certificates of compliance to maintain the status quo to avoid revocation of the hard-earned compliance status.”
Muhara warned that it takes a lot to build a castle, but just a little to get it destroyed, stressing that consumers are getting more quality conscious everyday and they are looking for products of acceptable quality.
Among other schemes, Muhara said MBS has an Export Quality Certification Scheme in which Malawian exporters can get their products certified prior to export to avoid rejection of their products and certifying management systems for firms according to ISO 9001 and ISO 22000 to assist local companies get certification services.
MBS has since issued a total of 701 certificates as at December 2018, in addition to the 134 certificates that were issued last week out of which 56 were new certificates and 78 were renewed certificates.
