Revolutionizing Malawi’s Economy: MBS Introduces Cutting Edge Certification System to Supercharge Business Growth

Key Business Points

• The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) is introducing an upgraded product certification system, ISO/IEC 17065 Product Certification Scheme, to enhance the country’s participation in regional and international trade agreements.
• The new system will enable mutual recognition agreements with other regulatory authorities, reducing barriers to trade, and increasing trust in Malawi’s conformity assessment procedures.
• This development is crucial for Malawi’s economic growth, as it will facilitate the country’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a market with vast opportunities for local businesses to expand and diversify their export products and services.

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has announced the introduction of an upgraded product certification system, which will enable the country to actively participate in mutual recognition agreements with other regional regulatory authorities. According to MBS director general Bernard Thole, the importance of credible conformity assessment is key, especially now that Malawi is operationalizing its commitments under the AfCFTA. The AfCFTA presents a significant opportunity for Malawi to expand and diversify its export products and services, with a market of 1.3 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of $3.4 trillion.

The new conformity assessment system, which starts implementation next month, is an international standard that prescribes requirements for bodies providing certification of products, processes, and services. Mutual recognition agreements will allow trading partners to recognize the results of each other’s conformity assessment procedures, boosting trust in Malawi’s systems, reducing duplication, lowering costs, and expediting market entry. As Thole emphasized, standardisation and mutual recognition are critical tools in minimizing technical barriers to trade under the AfCFTA.

The MBS quality assurance services director, Gloria Mereka, indicated that the new system is designed to provide a credible platform for product certification, helping to build consumer trust, meet regulatory and market access requirements, and open doors to regional and international markets. This development is likely to have a positive impact on local businesses, as noted by Satemwa Tea and Coffee Estate quality manager Mary Pompi, who said the new scheme offers hope for improved business prospects. The Malawi Government recognizes the AfCFTA as an opportunity to achieve its goal of expanding and diversifying export products and services at regional and global levels under the National Export Strategy II.

In addition to the introduction of the new product certification system, Malawi has recently entered into a mutual recognition agreement on conformity assessment with Zambia, promoting trade of agricultural products such as maize, beans, and rice. The country is also working towards finalizing a comparable mutual recognition agreement with Zimbabwe to further support the objectives of the AfCFTA. These developments demonstrate Malawi’s commitment to ziinthu zokwela za ulimilizani (improving trade facilitation) and kuvina za malonda (enhancing market access), which are essential for the country’s economic growth and development. As the AfCFTA continues to take shape, Malawi’s business community can expect increased opportunities for trade and investment, both regionally and internationally.

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