Malawi Bureau of Standards to prosecute traders selling substandard goods
The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has said will prosecute all traders selling substandard goods in their shops as one way of curbing the malpractices.
MBS Director, Devlin Chokazinga told the Malawi News Agency (MANA) that the review of MBS Act gives his board the mandate to prosecute any trader who is contravening their standards.
He therefore warned the business owners to desist from the malpractice in order to promote fair trade.
“The act has been there before, but it lacked some substances empowering the board to act, however, the last sitting of parliament reviewed the Act which is giving us the mandate to prosecute the unscrupulous traders.
“The MBS Act stipulates that the convict shall be liable either to pay fine or sentence to imprisonment with hard labour for not abiding to MBS by laws,” said Chokazinga.
He further said prosecuting the offenders will act as a remedy of putting the misconducts to an end which he claimed currently it is on rampant.
According to Chokanzinga the bureau has deployed a number of inspectors in various districts countrywide to confiscate the substandard commodities.
“We are currently doing the clean up exercise and we are yet to apprehend the lawbreakers soon as the exercise is ongoing,” said chokanzinga.
He urged the general public to be vigilant by reporting to the bureau any kind of malpractices.
“Don’t buy cheaper things just because they are of substandard, therefore, I urge the public to urgently report to the bureau if they notice any shop selling expired commodities because this poses threat to people’s lives,” said MBS Director.
Chokanzinga then said the bureau will embark on mass sensitization campaign on the reviewed act.
A Soche resident, Chikondi Magwira, hailed the reviewed MBS Act and urged the board to ensure that they are exercising it accordingly.
“This is a welcome move because we have been buying expired goods for a long time in many shops however, my appeal to the board is that they must put mechanism to enforce it,” said Magwira.
MBS a body which is mandated by the government to regulate the standard of manufacturing and selling of commodities and services has in the past failed to prosecute unscrupulous traders who have been selling substandard goods.
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