Local traders and other people who import goods into Uganda in disregard of national set standards will face the strong arm of the Uganda National Bureau of Standard (UNBS), its Executive Director Ben Manyindo has warned.
UNBS is the national standards watchdog and its boss Dr. Manyindo has said some individuals are evading the Pre Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) Standards Program, which requires that all goods, whether for sale, personal use or donations must conform to the Ugandan standards before being shipped to the country.
“Failure to undertake PVOC attracts a 15% CIF penalty in addition to undertaking payment for laboratory fees and inspection,” Dr Manyindo says, adding that any products found to be substandard will have to be re-exported to the country of origin or destroyed at the cost of the importer.
Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) is a trade term requiring the seller to arrange for the carriage of goods by sea to a port of destination, and provide the buyer with the documents necessary to obtain the goods from the carrier.
According to Dr Manyindo, the inspection covers all categories of goods as provided for in the UNBS Import Inspection and Clearance Regulations 2015.
Further, Dr. Manyindo says the purpose of the program is to protect Ugandans from consuming and or using substandard goods that are dangerous to their health, safety and also to protect the environment.
In addition, Dr. Manyindo says, the program enables importers to enjoy faster clearance of imports since goods will not be held at entry points pending inspection, testing and issuance of clearance certificates by UNBS. “It enables smooth flow of trade which is critical to all importers and traders,” he added.
The Government of Uganda contracted SGS, Intertek and Bureau Veritus, internationally recognized inspection agencies, to carry out PVoC for general goods on behalf of UNBS.
