Connect with us

CSuiteAD

CSuite

Industralisation Ministry pledges support to boost standards at KEBS

The Ministry of Industrialisation has pledged increased funding to the Kenya Bureau of Standards to support Kenyan businesses as they expand into regional markets. The pledge comes against the background of increased exports by Kenyan companies to regional markets and the inking of an agreement that allows countries in East Africa to share quality standards. This means goods certified in Kenya will not need to be retested after export into the region and vice versa.

During a visit to the Kebs headquarters on Monday, the Industrialisation Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Peter Kaberia, said that increasing the number of experts working for KEBS and investing in new testing equipment for various categories of goods will help Kenya achieve the Big Four Agenda as well as Vision 2030 development goals.

“The government and the Kebs board has approved the recruitment of staff at KEBS over the next few months,” Amb Kaberia told the meeting between the board, management, and staff of the standards agency.

He also challenged the agency to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as they hold the key to reducing poverty. As part of the government’s strategy to support SMEs, he said the Ministry is mapping the country’s resources to entrench the One Village One Product (OVOP) model that will ensure equitable distribution of jobs and manufacturing opportunities across the country.

“Instead of taking people to where the factories are, we want to take factories to where the people are,” said the PS.

KEBS Managing Director, Lt. Col. (Rtd) Bernard N. Njiraini, said SMEs had increased their requests for certification of their goods, an indication that many of them are keen to become part of the formal economy. According to him, this has been driven largely by difficulties in importing goods due to the effects of Covid-19 and the desire by Kenyan SMEs to expand into the regional market. This is also in line with the Big Four Agenda.

“90 of our standards support the Big Four Agenda,” he said, citing the example of the agency’s enhanced capacity to test cement and other building products to ensure safety in the construction industry, which is one of the Big Four pillars. He said this is also meant to reduce the number of buildings collapsing during construction by ensuring that all construction materials in the market are certified. Other government agencies like the National Construction Agency will enforce building standards and compliance with workmanship regulations.

“KEBS has also facilitated manufacturing especially the making of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). Already 100 companies are manufacturing PPEs, up from three before Covid-19,” he said.

The Chairman of the National Standards Council, Eng Bernard Ngore, said KEBS was keen on the inspection for petroleum products but has faced resistance from industry players.

“We are requesting that the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Developments guides KEBS on how we can lobby Ministry of Energy and Petroleum and the National Treasury to get incorporated in the pricing formula of EPRA so that we can be legally grounded in the process,” he said.

Molly is a versatile and detail-oriented writer with a background in journalism & PR. She is passionate about technology, science, arts, and culture. She delves into extensive research and writing. She is a Published Author