Market Surveillance

What is Market Surveillance?

Market Surveillance refers to the activities and measures undertaken by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards to ensure that products placed on the Ugandan market comply with applicable standards and technical regulations.

The objective of market surveillance is to protect public health, safety, the environment, and consumer interests by identifying, monitoring, and removing non-compliant or substandard products from the market.

Market surveillance activities help build consumer confidence and promote fair trade by ensuring that only compliant products are supplied to consumers. These activities cover both imported and locally manufactured products.

About Market Surveillance

Under Section 2(1)(f) of the UNBS Act, UNBS is mandated to enforce standards for the protection of the public against harmful, dangerous, and substandard products.

In addition, Section 20 of the Act prohibits the manufacture, sale, distribution, or possession for sale of products that do not comply with compulsory Uganda Standards.

The Market Surveillance Department is also responsible for enforcing the Distinctive Mark (Quality Mark) Regulations for locally manufactured products covered under compulsory standards and related technical regulations.

Despite ongoing enforcement efforts, substandard products continue to pose risks to public health, safety, fair trade, and the environment. UNBS regularly receives complaints from consumers, businesses, and consumer protection organizations regarding unsafe and non-compliant products on the market.

To address these challenges, UNBS has established a comprehensive market surveillance system aimed at preventing the circulation of substandard products and strengthening consumer protection.

Market surveillance supports the strategic objective of strengthening the implementation and enforcement of compulsory standards and technical regulations for enhanced consumer protection, environmental safety, and promotion of fair trade.

The surveillance system also ensures that manufacturers, importers, and suppliers who comply with legal and regulatory requirements are protected from unfair competition by non-compliant operators.