By William Madouk
South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) launched an awareness campaign for the upcoming East African Community Quality Mark Award competition.
A two-day workshop is currently underway in Juba to raise awareness of regional quality awards slated to take place this year with the participation of all member states.
Gloria Nyoka, the executive director for SSNBS said the meeting is meant to aware business people on the importance of standards across the East Africa region.
“Today, (Monday) we are having a meeting which is hosted by SSNBS to have an awareness on the quality award competition within the region and we glad to receive the delegation from EAC secretariate standards together with the supporting partners ITC,” said Nyoka.
“The first day will be the presentation to SSNBS – to give them guidance and tools that will be taken off during the competition for the business community,” she added.
“We will have another consultation with the private sector whereby there will be a presentation for the same so that it would make their participation easier in the coming competition of EAC quality award.”
Besides, she noted that national front-runner companies would now go to compete at regional level.
“The competitors or winners at the national level, will also compete with the other winners from partner states and the winner from the regional competition will be celebrate on the 13th of Nov, at EAC celebration in Arusha,” she stressed.
Meanwhile, the principal Standards officer for EAC, Stella Apollot said the competition for regional quality award is going to be free, fair and transparent.
“This competition is free and fair for all the East African and I wish to encourage the South Sudan private sector, the service industry to take part in this competition,” said Ms. Apollot.
“Because the tools that we shall be sharing today and tomorrow is to create that transparency,” she added.
According to her, the regional competition is open for factories, companies, small and large business scale in all East Africa Community member states.
“The objective of this quality award is to build the quality culture in the whole of East Africa region,” she highlighted.
“I know the industrialization in South Sudan is still low with a lot of import but with the quality culture you are able to ensure that whatever comes in has quality conscious,”
She called on the private sector, and business people in EAC bloc to participate in the upcoming EAC quality award race.
“Mind is to assure all the East African and that is why we are moving from partner state to partner state to share these tools to encourage industry to participate,”
While the chairperson of the specialized committee on Trade and Industry in national assembly urged South Sudan National Bureau of Standards to tighten its grip on goods safety to avoid political squabble.
MP Mayen Deng Alier stated that all East African Community member states should harmonize their testing to avoid political rift during the importation of the goods.
“The most important thing is that as a region we have to work as a team – we must all do the same test,” said Alier.