UNBS Executive Director Unveils Pre-Market Approval System to Accelerate Product Compliance and Market Entry
World Business Journal talks to Eng. James N. Kasigwa, Executive Director of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, about their new five-year strategic plan. This plan aims to reduce certification costs, implement a pre-market approval system, and address key objectives designed to overcome the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the broader industry sector.
How will the new five-year strategic plan assist SMEs in elevating their standards, and what specific goals and actions are proposed?
Our new five-year strategic plan is dedicated to improving the quality standards of SMEs and tackling the high informality rate, which impacts 52% of our businesses.
We are introducing the Digital Conformity Marking (DCM) programme, which will lower certification costs from $500 per batch to $0.27 per product, facilitating business scaling while ensuring compliance.
A new pre-market approval system will expedite product market entry while ensuring safety and quality.
To further support certified products, we are offering tax waivers on raw materials, benefiting both domestic and imported inputs used in Ugandan manufacturing.
The plan also supports informal enterprises by promoting the formation of organised associations, such as cooperatives. This facilitates better market access and encourages collective product certification, helping these enterprises compete more effectively.
What is the timeline for issuing the Global GAP certification?
By Q3, certified auditors at our bureau will enable us to reduce Global GAP certification fees from $10,000-$25,000 to $4,000. To further increase accessibility, we will collaborate with cooperatives and programmes like PDM to align agriculture with global standards and boost farmers’ international competitiveness.
What are UNBS’s objectives in the next 24 months?
We intend to reduce the import processing time from 6 days to just one. Regarding certifications, we aim to complete most of them in 14 to 30 days, depending on test complexity.
Traditionally, we’ve concentrated on agro-processing, but now we recognise the need to strengthen our presence, particularly in the oil and gas sectors, through fiscal metering.
By calibrating meters accurately, we uphold the Weights and Measures Act, ensuring precise volume and flow measurements for oil, electricity, and water, which bolsters business and consumer confidence.
Accurate measurement is crucial in our efforts to promote fair trade, safeguard consumers, and boost investor confidence. For instance, if a consumer pays for a litre of fuel, they should receive a full litre. This trust extends to SMEs, preventing value discrepancies due to measurement inaccuracies.
A 2023 ISO study titled “The Economic Impact of Standards in Developing Countries” indicates that a 1% increase in standards correlates with a 0.1% boost in productivity. With a young labour force and abundant resources, implementing rigorous standards will strengthen our economic competitiveness and growth potential.
