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During the Bilateral Budget discussion at the Ministry of Finance, it was stated that the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau (SLSB) requires a sum exceeding NLE 25 million to enhance its inspection processes at border posts and the airport.
The Bureau set to increase market surveillance inspection at the Border posts and Airports to prevent the dumping of substandard products into the country if given the needed funds.
Amadu Jogor Bah, the Deputy Director of SLSB explained such a move during the Bilateral Budget discussions at the Ministry of Finance, in Freetown on the 26th of August 2024.
Highlighting the Bureau’s deliverables for the Financial Year (FY) 2025, he said they will promote value addition through the development of good manufacturing practices based on standards, expand testing and calibration scopes, and achieve accreditation to ensure a competitive edge for export products at the international market and the verification of weighing instruments, pattern approval, and matriculation in the manufacturing sector, general trade and commerce to ensure fairness in trade and value for money.
Updating the gathering on the bureau’s deliverables for FY 2024, he said they have upgraded the mass laboratory with the acquisition of certified weights and comparators, launched the metric system of measurements, settled obligations to an International standards organization, and established a management systems certification body. He added that the bureau presented a recurrent budget of NLE 8.3 million and a capital budget of NLE 21.5 million for FY 2024, noting that the ministry of finance approved the sum of NLE 4 billion and the amount received as at present is NLE 1,090,600 (one million, and ninety thousand, six hundred New Leones).
Explaining the bureau’s challenges for FY 2024, Bah said that they are yet to extend to the provinces and major entry points to increase visibility, and roll out the Metric System of measurement and management systems certification programme. There are also challenges in the procurement of Rapid test kits for border crossing points, accreditation of the testing, calibration of laboratories, products certification, and expansion of the management system certification on chemical and chemical products.
SLSB seeks to collectively promote standardization, metrology, and conformity assessment to build a robust national quality infrastructure that drives economic development.
The SLSB seems to want to chew more than it can bite: wants to make a presence everywhere (airport, customs, etc.). And yet there is a clear mismatch between its stated scope of work and funding (the source of funding is also questionable). Standard bureaus/organizations are usually an association of companies, institutes, manufacturers who pool their resources to protect their products. So for SLSB to rely on Government for funding is not a viable option. Besides, standardization is a more complex process (involves research and detailed studies). Inspection and testing? Aren’t we duplicating some roles here? We keep on creating new institutions without the foresight of funding. How about strengthening existing institutions (within the Ministries)?
Proactive move….May it come to past …the procurements of those equipments so effective monitoring will commence as so as possible to hook up with the fy24
Hear this good fr nothing entity. To inspect ordinary building materials which doesn’t need any sophisticated tools to do they can not. To measure simple iron rod length and weight has been a daunting task or they’re part of the criminal cartel in robbing the already suffering masses?