TANZANIA – The Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS), has awarded the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) with an accreditation certificate on Management Systems.
A subsidiarity institution of SADC, SADCAS is responsible for the accreditation of laboratories, certification bodies and inspection bodies to international standards.
The Deputy Minister for Industries, Trade and Investment, Dr Exaud Kigahe, who was present at the award ceremony, underscored the need for TBS to maximize the use of the accreditation to help address the challenges faced by public and private entities which were previously forced to seek the service from outside the country.
He advised TBS to provide affordable rates to companies and other entities in need of the service so as to allow majority of them to have access to the service.
Dr Kigahe directed that the staff attached to the certification board must be well versed in the field in order to provide better services.
He called upon private and public sectors to go for the TBS accreditation certification as far as the Management Systems are concerned.
TBS provides Management Systems Certification Service to manufacturers and service providers from both public and private sectors regardless of their size and type of business.
The certification service is provided to confirm that the organization or business entity carries out its activities in conformity with the international standards.
TBS provides the Management Systems Certification after being awarded the accreditation by SADCAS.
Speaking during the event, TBS Director General, Dr Athumani Ngenya called upon the public and private entities to take advantage of the certification as it gives them ability to maintain consistency and hence increase consumers’ confidence.
“Enhance customers’ satisfaction, identify and address the risks and opportunities associated with organizations, thus increase ability to demonstrate conformity to the specified product or service requirements,” he said.
According to Ngenya, Management Systems Certification body offers technical assistance in areas of certification services, understanding of the requirements of the standards and auditing against respective international standards.
Technical assistance programmes are designed and implemented to promote understanding of requirements of the key certification and accreditation standards.
However, he said, implementation of these programmes is neither a pre-condition nor a guarantee for certification by the body.
Moreover, the body does not offer specific advice for the development of business operations for the sake of maintaining impartiality principles.
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