Arusha hosts EAC talks on trade standards

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TANZANIA Bureau of Standards (TBS) Acting Director General David Ndibalema.

ARUSHA: THE East African Community (EAC) Standards Committee has convened a four-day meeting in Arusha to evaluate progress in the implementation of programmes focusing on standards harmonisation, quality assurance, metrology and testing across the region.

The meeting, which started on Tuesday, is also expected to review achievements attained so far and prepare an implementation roadmap for the 2026/27 financial year.

Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) Acting Director General David Ndibalema, who also serves as the Director of Standards Development, said the meeting reflects the region’s continued commitment to strengthening cooperation through effective systems of quality assurance, standards harmonisation, metrology and testing.

The 28th session, organised by the EAC Secretariat, brings together representatives from EAC member states, technical subcommittees, development partners, as well as national and international institutions responsible for standards development and harmonisation.

The initiatives are aimed at accelerating industrial growth, protecting consumers, eliminating non-tariff barriers and enhancing the competitiveness of goods and services within the EAC bloc and global markets.

Additionally, the meeting seeks to facilitate trade and improve the movement of goods and services across borders while supporting industrial development within the region.

The Chairperson of the meeting and Deputy Executive Director of Standards at the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), Patricia Ejalu said the primary role of standards bureaus within the EAC is to safeguard public health and safety while ensuring fair trade practices.

“The populations are growing, and they are looking to standards bodies for guidance on how best to sustainably manage and utilise resources,” she said.

The EAC Standards Committee is mandated to coordinate and oversee activities implemented under the East African Community Standardisation, Quality Assurance, Metrology and Testing (SQMT) Act of 2006.