In 1989, the Government of Uganda promulgated the UNBS Act, Cap 210 to enhance the competitiveness of local industries, promote fair trade, protect the health and safety of the consumers including prevention of trade in sub-standard goods and coordinating the provision of Standards, Metrology, Conformity Assessment and Accreditation services in Uganda.
For over thirty-five (35) years, UNBS has helped thousands of companies with a range of services, from Certification, Imports Inspection, Testing, Calibration, Standards Development and Promotion, Market Surveillance among others. Each year we serve several individuals, and while we provide a wide range of services, our goal is to create opportunities for businesses to achieve excellence in their product offerings while protecting the consumers.
If you have a business, you already know the multitude of challenges you are up against in today’s business world. Business is characterized by relentless change: staying ahead of the competition, keeping up with technology and meeting customers’ needs which requires the agility and ability to evolve in real time. In order to face up to a rapidly evolving world, you need to have a system in place to adapt with the changes. That is where standards come in. Whether you want to monitor and improve your brand, toughen up your IT security, or keep your employees motivated, productive and happy, Standards are the solution you need.
For years, Standards have provided frameworks and solutions companies need to launch new products and services, expand or simply keep afloat. Standards are the mirror of an epoch. They reflect the profound evolutions of society and business. As times have changed, so have our businesses and the scope of the standards that support them.
With globalization in trade, the growth in the agricultural, industry and services sectors will be sustained with increased exports of value-added products which meet international standards. This calls for a strong quality infrastructure to support industry, trade, environment and consumers’ health and safety, hence the need to build internationally recognized conformity assessment systems such as testing facilities.
To this end, it is essential not only to promote the use of standards that can give all sectors of the economy a competitive edge, but also to ensure the development of standards that leverage on emerging technologies to promote efficiency and financial inclusion.
We must ensure this strategy is effective and drives us towards making standards as widely used and as relevant as possible. Standards are critical for a sustainable future and uniquely contribute to achieving the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which promises a fairer, more peaceful and more prosperous world for all.
It is a privilege to serve with the dedicated staff at the bureau and the National Standards Council, who are deeply committed to the UNBS Mission, Vision and Core Values. We work each day with a renewed dedication.
For God and my country
Eng. James N. Kasigwa
Executive Director