The trade and industrialisation ministry recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Namibia Standards Institution (NSI).
The agreement nominated the NSI as the official agency to provide metrology services under the Metrology Act (1973).
Through the agreement, trade minister Lucia Iipumbu, empowered by Section 7 of the Metrology Act, 1973 (Act No. 77 of 1973), represented the ministry, whereas Chie Wasserfall, in her capacity as CEO, represented the NSI.
According to trade ministry spokesperson Elijah Mukubonda, the metrology services will be carried out by the NSI on behalf of the director of metrology in the ministry, given that the institution possesses the required competencies and accreditation to carry out services related to weights and measures.
“In accordance with section 7 of the Metrology Act, services for the metrology agency comprise the examination, approval, verification, calibration or certification of any measuring instruments – and the keeping, maintaining, comparison, adjustment, establishment or value of any national measuring standards,” Mukubonda
stated.
The trade ministry has a clear mandate to spearhead two crucial sectors, industrialisation and trade, which are not only wide in scope but also very critical for the realisation of the country’s national socio-economic development goals.
Furthermore, the ministry administers several legislations, among which is the Standards Act (2005).
The purpose of the Standards Act is to promote the use of standards and quality assurance and control in the industry, commerce and public sectors; provide conformity assessment services; certify product and personnel systems; inspect and test products and materials as well as legalise metrology, which entails the enforcement of product labelling, weights and measures.
“We are confident that such cooperation will serve our common interests to strengthen, promote and develop synergy in weights and measurement systems as well as mechanisms that drive forward sustainable metrology services in the country that are core to the mandate of the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade,” Mukubonda
stated.