NSI and BOBS sign Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation

The Namibian Standards Institution (NSI), representing Namibia, and the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS), representing Botswana, on 25 April 2012 signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Cooperation which will see closer cooperation between the two Standards Bureaus in terms of the development and promotion of standardization and conformity assessment activities in the two countries.

The signatories to the agreement, Riundja Ali Kaakunga (Othy), CEO of the NSI, and Masego Morobela, MD of BOBS, indicated their delight at the signing of the memorandum, considering that both institutions share a common interest in contributing to the socio-economic development of their respective countries through the promotion of trade and industry. Furthermore bearing in mind the importance of standardization and conformity assessment in the promotion of trade, the MoU aims to reduce and eliminate technical barriers to trade between Namibia and Botswana.

Amongst others, the MoU will focus on:

• Promoting harmonization and application of uniform rules and procedures for the formulation of national standards;
• Ensuring the control of the quality products traded between the two countries;
• Recognizing the certification mark schemes and marks of conformity of both countries to enhance trade, provided that the standards are equivalent and conformity assessment procedures are consistent with international requirements;
• Exchanging of information on technical regulations and implementation of import inspection and market surveillance programmes; and
• Pursuing joint training programmes, and to take advantage of each other’s training facilities.

The keynote address was delivered by Banny K. Molosiwa, the Permanent Secretary of the Botswana Ministry of Trade and Industry who stated that: “The two institutions represent the most important component of our development agenda in that in order for us to successfully industrialise our economies we need to ensure that we produce high quality goods that can stand the test of competition in the international playing field.” She continued to say that, given the relative size of both countries, the socio-economic similarities and climatic conditions, it is vital for the two republics to strengthen the relationship at every opportunity, as such a relationship will lead to the overcoming of economic challenges and the pursuing of areas of common interest in order to realise the goals of both Botswana and Namibia.

This was reiterated by the Riundja A. Kaakunga (Othy): “Both the NSI and BOBS realise that they have economic and business interests to protect and this MoU is a practical demonstration of the two NSBs’ desire to confirm their established relationship of co-operation and to promote continual links in the furtherance of that relationship.”

The signing ceremony took place at the BOBS Headquarters in Gaborone.