March 28, 2024

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RSB, USAID raise Private Sector’s awareness on quality Standards and Certifications

Anicet Muriro, the RSB- Zamukana Ubuziranenge Program Coordinator

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Private Sector Driven Agricultural Growth Project (PSDAG), and the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB, have trained PSDAG-Supported SMEs on quality Standards and systems certifications.

On Friday PSDAG and RSB brought together supported SMEs, Cooperatives and Business associations operating in various agricultural value chains as part of an awareness raising campaign on Standards and certifications directed to Rwandan Private Sector.

Speaking at the training, Chantal Umuhire, PSDAG Deputy Chief of Party said that PSDAG and RSB have organized the training to show the PSDAG supported beneficiaries what the requirements for products certifications are and how they can work to meet the standards requirements.

Umuhire Chantal

“As the Government is promoting the “Made in Rwanda” whatever we are doing let us comply with the quality standards…so that we can start exploring how we can export our products” She said.

Umuhire added that “We can’t compete on the market while our products are not meeting the requirements.”

The Government of Rwanda has the ambition to transform the “Made in Rwanda” brand into a recognizable export brand appealing a wide range of consumers Worldwide.

The Objective is to transform Rwanda into a globally competitive export economy by offering quality and diversified products and services to the local, regional and internationally markets, with the aim of creating jobs, increasing incomes, and raising the living standards of Rwandans.

Umuhire said “In order to achieve this visions, Rwanda SMEs need to build their capacities in quality compliance to meet high-value markets requirements on standards and certifications.”

Speaking on Standardization of Business for Trade and Competitiveness, Anicet Muriro, the RSB- Zamukana Ubuziranenge Program Coordinator urged members of SMEs, cooperatives and Business Associations to be cautious always when they are working on products composites by abiding with Standards requirements.

He mentioned many products whose names are very different from the ingredients that made them which he says “undermine the brands of “Made in Rwanda” products.

“We can’t prevent people from doing innovations, what is important is to follow standards” Muriro explained.

The training is an “eye opener” for trained SMEs representatives in charge of operations Management.

Jean D’Amour who works for ENAS Company said the training are an eye opener to SMEs and Cooperatives as well as to other businesses

In an Interview with TOPAFRICANEWS after the training, Jean D’Amour who works for ENAS Company said “Now I am aware that the standardizations in Rwanda meet some challenges where some people make products and sell them without certification, and from today’s training now I am aware that after making a products I have to contact RSB to certify every product so that I go to the market knowing that everything is Ok without fears that the products will have negative impacts on consumers. So Certification is an assurance that your product is allowed.”

It is also expected that the training results will give a real push to local SMEs meeting quality markets requirements and promote MADE IN RWANDA to increase domestic and exports sales.

Umuhire Chantal Speaking to Media after the training.
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