Background of the Zanzibar Bureau of Standards

Zanzibar recognized as a commercial center in East and even Central Africa. Through decades of her history though many businesses were conducted within the islands including industrial produces, Zanzibar did not introduce an authority to deal with standards and standardization of goods and quality assurance. In 1980s the revolutionary government of Zanzibar introduced trade liberalization policy which provided opportunity for private sector to engage in trade as well as manufacturing services .the imports since then has been increasing overtime with slow rate of manufacturing for local consumption and export .substandard and counterfeit goods flooded in Zanzibar market.

The trend victimized/compromised with development effort in the country. The counter actions are well addressed in both Zanzibar strategy for growth and poverty reduction (MKUZA ii).as the result in 2011,the house of representative enacted Zanzibar standard act ,to establish bureau of standards(ZBS). Towards the end of 2012 ,the ZBS established and now is in operation.

Zanzibar bureau of standard has the vision as follows;-

Vision:

To be among the global leaders in providing highly respected standardization, quality assurance and metrology services.

Mission:

To develop and promote product standards, certification, quality management and conducting highly technical and professional testing of products using state of the art laboratory equipments and devices that will promote and build confidence to manufacturers, traders and consumers while strengthening Zanzibar’s economy and community health and safety.

Role of the Zanzibar Bureau of Standards

The Bureau is faced with the challenge of ensuring that the products whether produced in Zanzibar or imported to comply with the developed standards. The primary role of ZBS is to develop, promote and enforce standards in order to ensure health and safety of the consumers while building confidence to manufactures and traders for their goods and services in the markets hence influence economic development of the country. These roles are:-

1. Establish, publish, promote, amend or modify from Time to time an updated version of a standard for the quality, quantities and units of measurement to be used, which shall in conformity with the latest version of the international system of units;
2. Undertake measures for quality control, quality assurance and certification of commodities, services and environment of all descriptions and to promote standardization in industry and trade;
3. Make arrangements or provide facilities for the examination and testing of commodities and any material or substance from or with which, and the manner in which, they may be manufactured, produced, processed or treated;
4. Make arrangements or provide for the testing and calibration of precision instruments, gauges and scientific apparatus, for the determination of their degree of accuracy and traceability by comparison with standards approved by the Minister on the recommendation of the Board;
5. Provide for the inspection, sampling and testing of locally produced, manufactured, agricultural and imported commodities with a view to deter whether the commodities comply with the provisions of this Act or any other law dealing with standards relevant to those commodities;
6. Establish, maintain and recognize laboratories for the purposes of standardization and quality control and for such other purposes as may be prescribed;
7. Recognize any accredited any approved institution in Zanzibar or outside which is engaged in the standardization of any article or process or the improvement of the quality of any article or process;
8. Cooperate with other government agencies, representatives of any industry or any other statutory corporation or person with a view securing the adoption and practical application of standards;
9. Cooperate with regional and international organizations in all matters related to standardization and quality assurance and represents the country in such matters.
10. Collect, publish and disseminate information and other materials on standardization and other related subjects and to provide facilities for the members of the public to have access to the materials;
11. Make such inspection and take such samples of any material or substance as may be necessary to see whether any article or process in relation to which the Standard Mark has been improperly used in relation to any article or process with or without a licence;
12. Encourage or undertake advocacy in connection with standardization, quality assurance, metrology, testing and environment packaging;
13. Grant, renew, suspended or cancel a licence for the use of the Standard mark;
14. Charge fees in respect of the setting and issuing of a National Standard, and in respect of the training or services rendered in connection with standardization or with any standards, and in regard to the provision of any services rendered or product provided; and
15. Perform such other functions as may be prescribed by the Board

For the purpose of better carrying on its functions The Zanzibar bureau of standards is required to be guided apart from the law but several regulations. For the time being Zanzibar Bureau of Standards has three regulations thus :-

• The Zanzibar Standard Certification Regulation
• The Zanzibar Standard Compulsory Batch Certification of imports
• The Zanzibar Standard Tested Products Regulations

ZBS accountability

ZBS has its strategic plan in order to implement this Strategic Plan its requires proper utilization of financial, human and material resources. This demands that staff in the Ministry and other actors will have to take responsibility and be accountable for their use. The work flow and responsibilities model provides the road map for the implementation of the Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan implementation depends significantly on how the planned activities and outputs are effectively delegated, monitored and evaluated. The Director General as the accounting and authorized officer will be the overall in- charge of the implementation of the Strategic Plan. The targets set in the Strategic plan will be implemented through annual Performance Contracts and work plans.

Result based performance

Our implementation of all of our plan will focus own planned output and comestible

ZBS sustainability

ZBS will ensure continues existence of with improvements. Therefore our system remain dynamic and productive over time the Zanzibar Bureau of Standards is highly availing this opportunity to call all its staff members, stakeholders and all collaborators to provide their maximum support to execute this five years Strategic Plan. In such a way, Zanzibar fulfills its aspiration as stipulated in the vision 2020 and further elaborated in the MKUZA II as a medium term national strategy to realize economic growth and reduce poverty while ensuring quality of products in the market keep human health, safety and environmental friendliness.

For more information Please contact:-
P.O.Box 1136,
Zanzibar,
Tel:+255-24-2232225,
Fax: +255-24-2232225.
E-mail: info@zbs.go.tz,
Web: www.zbs.go.tz