The Zambian Government says there is need for stakeholders to acknowledge the role that harmonisation standards play in the socio-economic development of any country. Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry permanent secretary Siazongo Siakalenge said the participation of stakeholders in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to harmonise standards of trade and services will enhance activities.

Mr Siakalenge said it is important for the region to maintain harmonised standards in a transparent manner through the application of the Southern African Development Community Cooperation in Standardisation (SADCSTAN) harmonisation procedure for the benefit of all SADC member states.

“The Zambian government continues to be committed to the SADC protocol on trade and is positive that the recently amended technical barriers to trade annex to the protocol will enhance the operations of the SADC standardisation, quality assurance, accreditation and metrology structures which is aimed at fostering the liberalisation of intra-region trades in goods and services in the region,” he said.

Mr Siakalenge said this in a speech read for him by Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry director department of industry Tobias Mulimbika at the SADCSTAN training workshop on standards harmonisation procedure and the development of technical committee business plans organised by the Zambia Bureau of Standards yesterday.The workshop has attracted over 20 delegates from SADC member states, representatives from the SADC secretariat and the African Organisation for Standardisation.