Maputo – The National Standardization and Quality Institute (INNOQ) is spearheading the introduction of a Conformity Assessment Programme (PAC) on behalf of the Mozambican government to curb the inflow and distribution of inferior and fake goods within the country.
Silvino Moreno, the Minister of Industry and Trade, made this known during the inauguration of a seminar focusing on the disclosure of the PAC for imported products in Mozambique. Through an international public tender, the government has appointed Intertek International Limited to execute conformity assessment.
Minister Moreno emphasized the importance of PAC in not only safeguarding the environment but also in preventing Mozambique from becoming a dumping ground for substandard materials, equipment, and products that do not meet the prerequisites outlined in relevant technical standards and regulations. “It is imperative to underline that one of the pivotal objectives of the PAC is to ensure the distribution of safe and healthy products within the country,” the Minister asserted.
He added that conformity assessment programmes, whether for local or imported products, are implemented globally in line with the guidelines of the World Trade Organization (WTO), through both public and private institutions to ensure that consumers are supplied with products that meet the minimum quality requirements.
Geraldo Albasini, the national director of INNOQ, highlighted the programme’s goal of promoting the import of high-quality products by verifying compliance with the technical standards requirements as per Mozambican legislation. “This programme aims to curtail the production and distribution of substandard or low-quality products, from foodstuffs to construction materials,” he stressed, noting the necessity for food production, particularly items with mandatory fortification (such as corn flour, wheat, cooking oil, sugar, and salt), to adhere to the prescribed country standards.
The seminar also sought to ensure that customer needs and expectations are met by providing products that fulfil minimum quality requirements and, most importantly, ensure consumer protection.
