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African Standards Body moves to promote economic integration

By on June 12, 2015

Ahead of the President’s forum of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO), leaders of African Standards bodies have concluded plans to explore issues as well as frameworks within their mandate to drive economic integration in the continent.

Scheduled to hold on June 22nd, in Abuja, the forum is expected to address issues bordering Africa’s standards development, especially in terms of harmonisation of standards, building of vital institutions and facilities needed to fast-track regional and continental trade.

Indeed, the forum which features the largest turn out of African standards managers will also serve as occasion for the induction of African states that currently have yet to join the global quality movement.

Currently, 35 out of the 54 member countries of the African Union, AU, belong to ARSO while the AU Council of ministers of trade has expressed commitments to work towards ensuring that all African countries get on board by 2017.

Already, the AUC had set a target of an African Free Trade zone by 2017 and also declared the date as the African Year of Standards to jumpstart intra-Africa trade that is currently around five percent and symbol of the heavy dependence of Africa on the rest of the world.

According to ARSO President, Dr. Joseph Odumodu, the prime objective of the forum is to remove the restrictions to trade between African countries placed by the differences in the standards governing trade in the different countries.

He said: “Every organism prospers by utilising the material which every part supplies. But hardly does Africa draw strength from the trade the different countries in the continent engage in because, separated by standards, the countries hardly trade among themselves. Now, ARSO President’s Forum Abuja 2015 is bringing 55 heads of national standards bodies (NSB) in Africa together to open the gates of harmonisation of standards and let goods and services flow smoothly across the continent.”

 

[ThisDay]