Mozambican Prime Minister Adriano Maleiane said on Monday 13 November that it is essential for companies to ensure that goods and services produced in Mozambique satisfy international markets in terms of quality, safety, reliability and sustainability.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the first National Quality Conference, he said that there was a need to strengthen and consolidate the mechanisms for certifying and managing product quality, in order to respond to increasingly demanding consumers.
“Globalisation brings challenges for the government, which is why we have been committed to continuously improving the competitiveness of products and services of national origin in a world where each player seeks to maximise their advantages. That’s why, in recent years, the National Institute for Standardisation and Quality (INNOQ) has invested in strengthening its capacities, which is allowing it to expand the services it provides,” he stressed.
According to Adriano Maleiane, certification helps the business sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to improve their production capacity and ensure that products and services on the domestic market are compliant.
“With this meeting, we intend to reflect in depth on the challenges that exist in this area, as well as share knowledge and experiences on best practices, processes and quality management standards,” he said.
For his part, the representative of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in Mozambique, Jaime Comiche, explained that the good quality of the services and products provided increases investment and improves trade, stressing that “there is an urgent need to further disseminate quality policies so that INNOQ reinforces its commandment”.
The two-day event (13 and 14 November), organised by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, through INNOQ, takes place under the theme “Quality Culture: from Commitment to Implementation”, and its main aim is to identify and discuss the challenges faced by organisations in matters relating to quality, while also seeking collaborative solutions between the interested parties.
The conference is funded by the “Promove Comércio” project, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), with funds from the European Union, as well as sponsorship from Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa, Petromoc, Tropigalia, Petrotec, Brithol Michcoma, Heineken Moçambique, Água da Namaacha, Dataserv, Testop and Cervejas de Moçambique.
