Zimbabwe, Rwanda and the Republic of the Congo have signed a Mutual Recognition Agreement aimed at making it easier for businesses to trade by aligning product standards and certification systems.
The agreement was signed on March 6 at the end of a three-day meeting of the African Organisation for Standardisation Technical Committee 53, which focuses on standards for textiles and related products.
Under the arrangement, products tested and certified in one of the three countries will be accepted in the others without undergoing additional testing, a move expected to reduce trade barriers and speed up the movement of goods.
Rwanda Standards Board Director General Raymond Murenzi said the agreement would create new opportunities for businesses while advancing the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
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He said the initiative supports the vision of having “one standard, one test, one certificate accepted everywhere in Africa.”
Standards Association of Zimbabwe Director General Cosmus Mukoyi said the agreement would complement existing trade relations and help expand market access between the countries.
“Once a Rwandan product comes with a standard mark from Rwanda, we will not test it again when it enters Zimbabwe. This will facilitate the smooth movement of goods between our two countries,” he said.
Mukoyi added that trade between Rwanda and Zimbabwe is currently dominated by electrical products, but both countries are looking to strengthen cooperation in manufacturing.
Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Prudence Sebahizi, said harmonising standards across the continent is key to boosting confidence in African products and increasing trade among African countries.
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