PHOTO: Stephen Mumbu, Director General, Liberia Standard Authority
By Augustine Octavius, Augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A one-day round table engagement between the Liberia Standard Authority and representatives of Liberian-owned companies has ended with the adoption a number of resolutions aimed at standardizing their products for export in to international market.
The engagement, which was held under the theme: “Roles, Function and Services of the Liberia Standard Authority Towards Private Sector Growth,” was organized by LISA mainly to enhance the opportunity for Liberian-owned enterprises to meet the international standards in their export of products.
Representatives of the Liberia Standard Authority, the Liberia Business Association and the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, among other things a resolved at the end of a one-day engagement held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town on Friday resolved that the LSA decentralize its activities to give companies outside Monrovia the easy access to test the products.
Speaking in an interview with this station shortly after deliberation, the Director General of the Liberia Standard Authority, Stephen Mumba, disclosed that LSA and representatives of enterprises agreed among other things to conduct a more awareness on the mandate of the institution.
According to Mr. Mumba, most of the medium enterprises are appealing to the Liberian government to reduce the price charge for testing their products
Speaking during the engagement, Mr. Mumbu claimed that the activity forms part of a broader activity aimed at creating awareness and sensitization program of the Liberia Standards Authority.
“The activity meanly focuses creating awareness amongst members of the two major private sector groupings: Liberia Chambers of Commerce and Liberia Business Association,” he said; adding: “there is a need to create awareness on LiSA amongst stakeholders and harnessing adequate support for the implementation of the Liberia Standards Act along with its services for national development.”
According to Mr, Mumbu, the aim of the engagement meeting with participants from the two major private sector bodies composing of the Chambers of Commerce and Liberia Business Association on its core mandate, roles, functions and services and to harness support for the implementation of the Service Delivery Chapter.
He added Liberia like other West African nations, has realized that the significant key to economic development is ensuring its active participation in regional and global markets by producing products and services that must meet regulatory and market related quality, safety, health and environmental requirements.
Mr. Mumbu pointed out that LISA recognized that this calls for a strong national quality infrastructure to support industry, trade, environment and consumer’s health and safety.
“In view of this,” he went on, “it is imperative to put in place measures and institutional mechanisms to ensure that all goods and services for domestic and international markets meet required quality, environment, health and safety standards thereby strongly contributing to government’s sustainable development.”
The Liberia Standards Act establishes a national standards body called the Liberia Standards Authority (LISA) with major responsibilities for providing national standards and other trade-facilitated services in areas of conformity assessment (testing, inspection and certification) and metrology.
The Liberia Standards Act is necessary in order to meet Liberia’s need of a sound national quality infrastructure to achieve its strategic economic goals and it provides essential legal and administrative framework for the establishment of the Liberia Standards Authority.