Cabinet Secretary roots for accreditation to increase trade

By LILLIAN KIARIE

Kenya needs more investment in human capital and infrastructure to meet production and quality standards required in foreign markets to expand trade.

Adan Mohamed, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Industrialisation and Enterprise Development, said accreditation of goods and services will enhance competence in production practices. It  will also improve quality assurance and management systems by conformity assessment bodies.

Trading partners

He observed that improved monitoring, evaluation, product testing and packaging will meet the technical requirements of Kenya’s trading partners thus upping trade.

“There is need for assurance of quality and safety through the synergy of national quality and regulatory infrastructure in all goods and services consumed in the country,” he said. This was during the fourth African Accreditation Cooperation (AFRAC) general assembly meeting opening ceremony yesterday.

The meeting was organised by Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)-an accreditation agency. Wilson Songa, principal secretary in the ministry of Industrialisation and Enterprise Development said benchmarking goods and services manufactured in Africa against global standards for similar goods and services will eliminate technical barriers to trade.

“Accrediting conformity assessment will promote consumer safety and facilitate trade,” he said. Songa urged AFRAC to speed up the establishment of its own Mutual Recognition Agreements and Multi –Lateral Arrangements as a means of facilitating intra- Africa and global trade.

It is estimated that intra-Africa trade stands at about 12 per cent, a figure that is meager and needs improvement.

KENAS Chairperson Marion Mutungi said that non-compliance with internal standards deprives producers access to key international markets and may lead to further reduction in global market share.

“Accreditation allows for regional goods and services to become more competitive as their conformity assessment processes are recognised by international markets,” she said.

This means that there is improvement in trade facilitation and possibly market access.

Further, accreditation improves intra and extra regional trade and assists in developing the region’s capacity to integrate the global economy the production and provision of quality goods and services.

Health and safety

Mutungi added that accreditation acted as a catalyst by helping domestic companies pitch for business abroad and by promoting confidence in imports from other countries.

KENAS Chief Executive Sammy Milgo noted that accreditation was necessary to ensure goods and services do not pose threats to human health and safety, including to plants, animals and the environment.

“We require the Government to support us to improve public awareness of our role and provide funds to effectively deliver our mandate,” he said. KENAS creates order in trade in products and services, eliminates incompetent practices and provide internationally recognised accreditation services.