STORY: Rwanda intensifies campaign to ensure compliance with safety standards
SHOOTING DATE: March 10, 2024
DATELINE: March 11, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:21
LOCATION: Kigali
CATEGORY: ECONOMY/MARKET

SHOTLIST:
1. various of traders and products
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JEAN PIERRE BAJENEZA, Acting national certification division manager at RSB
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): CEPHAS NSHIMYUMUREMYI, Managing director of Uburanga Products

STORYLINE:

In a bid to promote and enforce quality standards, the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) has launched a nationwide campaign named "Zamukana ubuziranenge (strive for improved quality)" program.

The initiative aims to emphasize the importance of rigorous quality measures and cultivate a culture of excellence within the business community.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JEAN PIERRE BAJENEZA, Acting national certification division manager at RSB
"Testing alone cannot be a benchmark for compliance with products. So it starts from once the standard is out, how you train the users on implementation of the standard. So we have that capacity of the technical assistance to train the users that is the industrial people, the SMEs, on how standard requirements are implemented."

Bajeneza emphasized the accreditation of their laboratories against international standards, and according to him, the RSB has developed over 3,500 standards across various product categories, certifying over 900 products and holding certifications for more than 100 systems.

Speaking to Xinhua, Cephas Nshimyumuremyi, managing director of Uburanga Products Ltd., a company producing herbal cosmetics and soaps, emphasized the significance of adhering to RSB standards.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): CEPHAS NSHIMYUMUREMYI, Managing director of Uburanga Products
"We focus on the standard. We don't go beyond the standard produced by the Rwanda standard board. And when we have standards and we produce the products using the standards, it helps us to be competitive in the market and to the people who accept our products because they make sure that our products are on the standard."

As part of the comprehensive campaign, RSB aims to educate various sectors on the significance of quality testing in meeting required standards.

RSB hopes that by raising awareness, widespread adoption of quality assurance practices will enhance overall product and service quality in Rwanda.

The campaign, through its multifaceted approach, seeks to create a robust ecosystem where adherence to standards not only ensures product compliance but also fosters innovation and international competitiveness in Rwandan industries.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kigali.
(XHTV)