The standards body said in a notice on Thursday evening that the public should not buy particular companies’ products. It said, “this is aimed at protecting consumers from buying sanitizers that do not comply with standards and harmful to their health, in the wake of COVID-19.”
Ignatius Tumwebaze, an Inspector with UNBS, says they received numerous complaints from public from the just concluded festive season that most of the weighing scales dont measure up.
According to Manyindo, UNBS automated its imports clearance processes to facilitate faster clearance of goods, which has improved the turnaround time from 11 to five days.
Dr. Ben Manyindo, the Executive Director Uganda National Bureau of Statistics, said the e-verification system is one of the measures put in place to reduce counterfeit seeds on the market.
Uganda National Bureau of Standards UNBS lacks the capacity to calibrate the mandatory vehicle inspection equipment that was brought into the country by a private contractor, URN has learnt.
Under the campaign, the Ministry and UNBS intend to stage roadside shows and debates to educate consumers on counterfeits. Nakakande is optimistic that the intervention will implore consumers to look beyond the manufacturing and expiry dates on the products and also look at other details such as the ingredients and certification among others.
The decision came after a whistle blower petitioned Parliaments Equal Opportunities Committee, presenting before them a carton of bottled Blue Wave mineral water bottles with visible black particles. The whistle blower asked the committee to probe the company.
David Livingstone Ebiru, Deputy Executive Director UNBS told MPs on the Trade and Tourism committee today that the bureau faces challenges in prosecution of cases of suspects implicated in importing and selling counterfeit goods in the general courts.
The officials, while responding to concerns from the business community on the surge in fake fertilisers on the market during a meeting in Kampala on Thursday, say the pre-verification effort is aimed at minimising the risk of unsafe and substandard goods entering Uganda, and protect consumers against dangerous and substandard imported products.
UNBS currently has only 12 employees to certify over 1500 products, 5 inspection officers and requires at least 211 technical staff to strengthen its regional and border inspection offices.
The suspects were manufacturing household products like detergents, coffee, spices, body creams, insecticide, and reams of papers. Police also found in their possession, fake certificates implying that they were members of the Uganda manufacturers association –UMA and written agreements between them and different suppliers.
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is investigating circumstances under which several products including mineral water, holy salt and cosmetics got into Ugandan market. Some of the products being investigated are Banafont Mineral water processed by Banabikira Sisters, in Bwanda nunnery, Holy Salt processed by Gogonya Nuns and several cosmetics.
Issa Sekitto, the KACITA spokesperson tells URN in an interview that substandard products were still making it to the Ugandan market because of reduced surveillance by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS).
In June 2013, Kampala Traders went on strike, against the program stating that it would lead to an increase in their costs. but today UNBS reveals that at least 1710 conformity certificates had been issued out in the first three months of the program.
According to Martin Imalingat the Quality Assurance Manager at UNBS the S mark will be a minimum requirement for all products, to help certify the quality of goods and add value to Ugandan products.
Almost all shops in downtown Kampala remain closed as traders start their three-day strike. The traders want Government and Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to remove the Pre- export Verification Conformity (PVoC). The PVoC programme is meant to guard against counterfeit goods on the local market.
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards – UNBS – has acquired devices that can detect and measure the amount of radiation, a move expected to help protect the public from imported goods that could be contaminated with radioactive materials.
Former Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Executive Director Dr Terry Kahuma has this morning posted his first victory against his former employer in a bid to have his job back.
