CERTIFICATION SERVICES

ZBS operates two certification schemes; namely

1. The Product Certification Scheme.
2. The Tested Product Certification Scheme.

Product Certification Scheme.

The Product Certification Scheme allows manufacturers whose products have conformed to Zanzibar standards to use the ‘ZBS’ Standards Mark of Quality on their products. The scheme requires that the product complies with relevant Zanzibar standards.

The ZBS Standards Quality Mark is a symbol which manufacturers may use to promote their products and consumers seek as prima evidence of quality.

The ZBS Standards Quality Mark on a product indicates that samples of the product are independently and routinely tested and certified by ZBS against relevant Zanzibar standards. The Standards Mark is a sign of product quality and gives assurance to both manufacturers and consumers that the products can be used safely and reliably.

The ZBS Standards Quality Mark makes people buy product with confidence. On the other hand, it protects the manufacturers from competing with inferior products and enables them to prove to the market that their products satisfy all the requirements specified in the standards.

Tested Product Certification Scheme

Tested Product Certification Scheme is the scheme used when the manufacturer claims to produce products according to company, foreign or international standards which may not be available in Zanzibar. The manufacturer’s product is tested in ZBS laboratories or any other accredited laboratories according to the claimed standards, also on-site testing and inspection are done for quality ascertainment.

The Tested Product Certification Scheme is a scheme whereby the Bureau does not issue a standard quality mark for a product but which otherwise complies with appropriate standard as specified by the product specification and approved by Specification Approval Committee of the Bureau.

Summarised Procedures for Granting Licence/certificates based on those two schemes.

The following are generally the steps followed by ZBS with a view to granting licences to use their standard mark or Tested Product Certificate:

1. An application is submitted to the ZBS on the prescribed application form.
2. After scrutiny of the application, the ZBS arranges an inspection of the applicant’s premises to establish the production capability and quality control system. During the inspection the ZBS Inspector takes a sample for independent testing.
3. The ZBS grants the license/certificate if:

   -The test report from an independent laboratory meets with the requirements laid down in the applicable standard;

   -The applicant agrees to follow a scheme of testing and inspection as a minimum quality control during production;

   -The applicant agrees to follow the conditions of granting of licence, including payment of the licence fee.

4. During the operation of the licence to use the mark/certificate of ZBS on the product, the following surveillance is maintained over the licensee:

   -The licensee must continue to follow the scheme of testing and inspection and to maintain records of testing and inspection, which are checked through periodic surprise inspections by the inspecting officers of the ZBS;

   -During the inspections, product samples are tested in the laboratory of the licensee and test results are compared with the testing data of the licensee;

   -Samples taken during inspections, from the open market or from bulk users, are tested in an independent laboratory. (Normally two such samples are tested in a year).

5. If the inspection reports and the test reports are satisfactory, then renewal of the licence is granted and the above checks continue every year.

BILLING FORMULARS

For: ZBS mark and Tested Product Certifications Scheme

CHANGES OF NAME/MANAGEMENT

25% of the current annual certification fees.

Aim and Benefits of Certification Services.

1. Certification helps the consumer to choose products that meet the requirements of the specified standard, are suitable for the purpose and are safe from hazards to life and property;

2. Certification gives a buyer greater confidence in the integrity of the product,

3. Certification streamlines the production process and introduces a quality assurance system for ensuring conformity of the product to the standard; Certification enhances the marketability of products and provides an opportunity for competing with similar products and building a better image of the product both in the domestic and the international market;

4. Certification helps to reduce technical barriers to trade, as the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade recognizes certification as an instrument to prevent technical barriers and as an important factor in the furtherance of international trade.