Ministry for harmonisation of standards to boost trade
Ministry of Trade and Industry says harmonisation of standards of products is crucial in facilitating trade in Malawi and the rest of Africa.
The ministry’s Principal Secretary Christina Zakeyo said this on Wednesday during an awareness workshop on the role of standardisation in the African Pharmaceutical Industry jointly organised by African Organisation for Standardisation and Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) in Blantyre.
product is very crucial
She said the role of African Organisation for Standardisation augurs well with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a continent-wide market of 55 countries with 1.3 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of $3.4 trillion.
Said Zakeyo: “Harmonising standards of products is very crucial. That is why there is this particular relationship between what African Organisation for Standardisation is doing and the work being undertaken by AfCFTA.”
She challenged local pharmaceutical manufacturing firms to engage the organisation to enhance investment and scientific research, adding that Africa must start producing most of the pharmaceuticals in light of the pandemics.
African Organisation for Standardisation secretary general Hermogene Nsengimana said 1 500 standards are already harmonised, adding that priority is on important sectors.
“Our focus now is on harmonising of standards in the value chains that have been selected by African Continental Free Trade Area,” he said.
In his remarks, MBS acting director general Thomas Senganimalunje urged Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority to guide producers of traditional medicine on how they can get their products certified.
He said the role of MBS is to have standardisation developed and harmonised at continental level.
