Malawi Bureau of Standards warn against ‘inferior’ products

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has asked consumers to be on guard to avoid buying uncertified products on the country’s products, saying it is an indication that they are substandard.

An official from Kentam Products Limited (Left) admires the awarded certificate as Kamuloni (Centre) looks on. Pic by Yohane Chideya- Mana.
An official from Kentam Products Limited (Left) admires the awarded certificate as Kamuloni (Centre) looks on. Pic by Yohane Chideya- Mana.
Kamuloni- Consumers should be on the lookout - Pic by Yohane Chideya, Man
Kamuloni- Consumers should be on the lookout – Pic by Yohane Chideya, Man

The call comes amid concerns that some products beat boarder checks, sneak into the country and sell on the markets without the bureau’s consent.

Speaking in Mzuzu Friday when awarding permits and designation certificates to six companies, MBS Director of Quality Assurance Services, Steve Kamuloni conceded that there were some products that penetrate into the country illegally because the country’s boarders are porous.

Kamuloni said the bureau has been receiving reports that there are products from abroad that are available on the markets but are not fit for that, hence the call for every consumer to be on the lookout.

“Usually, we conduct market surveying activity whereby we go around shops removing those products that are not certified, because obviously, they are a threat to consumers in one way or the other,” said Kamuloni.

He however said the effectiveness of such operations rests in the hands of the consumers.

“Each one of us should be on alert. All certified products are marked with an MBS mark, as such if you find any product which is questionable or does not seem to have met requirements to be on the market, you are free to inform the bureau.

“And such information has been helping a lot, because recently we have been closing down and banning products deemed substandard from selling on the market,” he added.

To minimize the challenge, Kamuloni said before June this year, MBS boarder checking point will be established in Chitipa District targeting products from Zambia and Tanzania.

Kamuloni congratulated the awarded companies, asking them to be professional so as to catch the attention of selective eyes on the local and international markets.

“The world is ever moving and progressing at a faster rate. Therefore, companies in this age should remain focused to avoid falling off-track, by off-track I mean if your products are not certified, they will remain irrelevant.

“The logic is, once the product is locally certified, then it will be globally recognized because it can be anywhere on the international market,” he said.

Among the companies awarded with permits and designation certificates are Kentam Products Limited, producers of methylated spirit (product for which certificate was awarded) and Mzuzu Coffee Planters Co-operative Union who have started producing honey (product for which certificate was awarded).

Since February last year, MBS has awarded certificates to 109 companies in Northern Region.

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