By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA  –
THE Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) will tighten inspection activities during the Christmas and New Year period.
ZABS acting head- marketing and public relations Nzali Chella said the bureau would continue its operations during the festive period and would further tighten its inspection activities particularly at major border points of entry.
Ms Chella said the bureau would tighten its random market surveillances and inspections especially for products that fall under compulsory regulation, as this was a critical component in ensuring regular compliance of set standards.
“We are also checking on the retail market for compliance of food products and electrical appliances and so far ZABS has been part of a joint operation through a market surveillance conducted in Livingstone with Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and the local authority,” Ms Chella said.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday,
“Our offices in provincial capitals will remain open to facilitate inspections to factories producing food products and electrical appliances,” Ms Chella said.
She said in Eastern Province, the bureau was randomly collecting samples from Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) for testing of compliance to technical regulations.
This testing is being done at the mobile laboratory housed at ZABS provincial office in Chipata.
“All this is being done to ensure that the Zambian market is free from substandard products particularly those that are being monitored by the Zambia Bureau of Standards,” Ms Chella said.
Products falling under compulsory standards are deemed to have a bearing on the health and safety of the consumer as well as, the environment or society and as such they should not fall short of what is stipulated in the standards.