SSNBS Executive Director vows to eradicate substandard goods in South Sudan

By Lodu William Odiya
The newly appointed Executive Director of South Sudan National Bureau of Standards have vowed to eradicate substandard goods and product to safeguard human harm in the Country.
Speaking during a handover ceremony at the SSNBS headquarter in Juba on Thursday, Oiylang Dominic Kanuto, who was recently appointed to lead the institution emphasized that safety is a to of economic growth and development.
“Now as a young nation still building this institution, we must ensure that quality, safety, integrity guided our development. We will be prioritizing public awareness across the country so that citizens and business understand the importance of standards and compliance” he said.
Dominic also added that the export sector has to be standardized to meet the regulatory requirement of international standard across the region, international, and all over the world.
According to Dominic, the motive is because once the country meets the international standard of its own goods and services that it produces within, what is export outside, is basically encourages foreign income that would come to the country.
“We would have to look at that aspect by making sure we create awareness that our people continue to produce goods that are of a high standard. All this comes from us as the Bureau of Standards to ensure we put in place measures to ensure that these people have to produce standard products” he added.
He underscored that it is important in protecting the citizens as well as enabling South Sudan products to compete in East African markets and internationally.
Dominic further assured the National Bureau of Standards, that his leadership would be guided by collaborative efforts of the employees.
“Our institution may basically divert from what is supposed to be done. I want to say, if you work so closely with your colleagues with integrity, you will not have any problem with anybody. And I want to assure you that we will ensure that we work with integrity so that we are able to achieve what we intend to achieve” he added.
Additionally, the executive director noted that he will be working closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, and the relevant government institutions, private sector including the international partners to ensure that products in this country’s market meet the required quality and safety standard.
“I would definitely work with you, consult with you all the time, and ensure that certain policies must be passed so that we meet international standard and regional standard” he stated.
“Together we will be able to build a strong institution that serves the interests of our great nations as South Sudan” Dominic added.
Executive director Dominic stressed that Standards are not obstacles at all to trade but they are tools for safety, quality and economic growth and development.
He encouraged employees to avoid taking the organisation as a political institution in order to deliver good services to the people.
“I want to encourage us to call ourselves as South Sudanese. This institution is not a political institution as such. This institution is an institution that should guide the country, protect our citizens from any human harm” he said.
“You have seen how many times this happened. People try as much as possible to sneak goods that are substandard in our country. Sneak fuel, Sneak oil and food stuff in our country. Try as much as possible to portray good image of our country” he explained.
He stressed that his main goal and the guiding vision of SSNBS is to strengthen the capacity, credibility, effectiveness of the Bureau so that it can deliver on the mandate.
According to Dominic, this will involve setting up platforms to ease certifications, the accreditation, enhancing quality assurance systems, strengthening inspections, product testing, laboratory infrastructure.
“Actually, robust laboratory infrastructure must be built in the Bureau so that we are able to pop up some of these challenges that we go through. And ensuring standards are never compromised and properly implemented across all sectors” he said.
Meanwhile, Atong Kuol Manyang, Minister of trade and Industry emphasized on collective work and dedication as an essential tool in protecting the public health, facilitating trade, and strengthening confidence in South Sudan national market.
“This Bureau of Standards is the lifeline of our country. You must know that our lives, all of us, whether young children, pregnant mothers, the elderly, and everybody else that lives here, our lives depend on what you do in this institution” she said.
Minister Atong underscored that the country almost imports everything from foreign countries including food, fruits and medicines, calling on the SSNBS to protect the lives of people across the country.
“We know our country. We import almost everything, our people who cultivate are very few. Whether it is drinks, food, medicine, and clothes including cars. And when a country relies on importation like that, we must make sure that we protect ourselves” she cautioned.
Atong emphasized that in most cases, goods that some countries are choosing to export in South Sudan are the goods that are less of quality compared to what they consume in that foreign country, urging the Bureau of standards to protect the lives of the people.
The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) is the national authority responsible for standardization, quality assurance, metrology, testing, and calibration in South Sudan.