Malawi Bureau of Standards obtains international accreditation of its lab through SQAM Project
The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has obtained the accreditation of its testing laboratories through the technical assistance provided by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), under the EU-funded “Development of a Robust Standardization, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology Infrastructure (SQAM)” Project.
Achieving accreditation is the result of great efforts towards MBS’ capacity and services and its contribution to an efficient National Quality Infrastructure; this, in turn, will have direct benefits for the Malawian enterprises, which now have internationally-recognized testing services locally for considerable time and cost savings. Indirectly, long-term benefits will be realized for Malawian citizens, especially in terms of improved consumer safety.
“The MBS testing facility is the first one in the country to have received accreditation”, said Ouseph Padickakudi, UNIDO’s Chief Technical Advisor. “This was only possible through the SQAM project and the joint efforts of its development partners such as the EU, UNIDO and UNDP, the Government of Malawi as well as the MBS management and staff”.
Maureen Mutasa, CEO of the Southern Africa Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS), handed over the certificate of accreditation, which is the result from the assessment carried out by SADCAS at the testing laboratory facility in March 2018, and which verified the level of competence and compliance to the requirements of the international standard ISO 17025:2005.
The accreditation body, SADCAS, is an affiliate of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).
