By Pemphero Malimba:
The Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change has expressed displeasure with operations of the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS).
Officials from MBS appeared before the committee to discuss issues surrounding the bureau’s assessment and regulation of the bottled drinking water industry.
The meeting followed recent observations of low-quality bottled drinking water on the market.
Vice Chairperson for the Natural Resources Committee George Katunga Million said MBS has demonstrated lack of capacity to ensure only products of good quality are on the market.
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“They have admitted that their staff numbers are very low; they have admitted that they visit these companies sometimes once in three months and yet production is on daily basis.
“So, it is difficult for Malawians to access bottled drinking water or any other packaged food of high quality because the way [MBS] is working is not satisfactory,” Million said.
He has since advised the bureau to improve its efforts of ensuring Malawians do not consume substandard products.
“They need to visit manufacturing companies from time to time so that these companies should be producing high-quality products,” the legislator said.
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MBS Deputy Director of Quality Assurance responsible for Certification and Inspectorate Services, Demster Kumvenji, said the bottled water industry is facing challenges due to lack of quality control systems among the business operators.
“In addition to that, there is a need for the business operators to make sure that they have qualified personnel to manage quality control systems,” Kumvenji said.
He added that the bureau will endeavour to provide efficient services to Malawians.
Kumvenji expressed optimism that MBS operations will improve once the review of the Malawi Bureau of Standards Act is concluded.
“One of the key highlights in the review of the Act is on the penalties that those who default on standards requirements will be required to pay so that they are deterrent enough,” he said.
The Act mandates MBS to promote metrology, standardisation and quality assurance of commodities and of their manufacture, production, processing or treatment.
