Lusaka, March, 17, 2020: The Burundi National Bureau of Standards (BBN) has received equipment worth €150,000 to support its operations and improve regional market access for Burundi products.

The equipment, which arrived in Bujumbura on 1st March 2020, includes laboratory equipment for building materials, metrology, electrical and plastic, chemistry, microbiology and field vehicles. Under the same package, staff that will use the equipment will also under ongoing trainings.

The equipment was provided through financial support of the European Union under the COMESA Regional Integration Support Mechanism (RISM). The objective is to support the regional integration process in Burundi by strengthening the operational capacities of the BBN.

Strengthening the capacities of the BBN is motivated by the country’s concern to reduce the deficit in its trade balance by improving its foreign trade. Already, products from niche markets to be traded in regional markets are being identified.

Going forward, the BBN will be well placed to grant certificates of conformity and allow Burundi products to easily cross borders and become competitive in the regional market and beyond.

Once installed the equipment will enable the country to certify the standards of goods and services produced in the country. This will result in improved products which meets regional standards as well as other markets which acknowledge the COMESA standards.

They will also help to improve market surveillance through verification of legal metrology and calibration of industrial metrology as well as on-site inspection. A Global Positioning System (GPS) for evaluating and verifying the global positioning of the capacities of processing units is also part of the package.