The National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) has urged construction material manufacturers to pursue certification with the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) to ensure that their products meet industry standards for quality, safety, and performance.
Speaking when the Council commissioned a survey of material manufactures in the cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, the Acting Regulatory and Enforcement Director for NCIC, Arch. Dorthy Nyong’onya noted that certification can enhance credibility, improve marketability, and comply with regulatory requirements. ‘As NCIC, we are encouraging material manufactures to get certified because by doing so we can promote higher standards in construction practices, ultimately benefiting the industry and the safety of construction projects. We believe quality products are a function of quality construction materials and other factors. So as a Council we are working on the various factors to grantee that as a country we achieve quality in the construction industry as we pursue Agenda 2063’, said Nyong’onya.
Throughout the exercise, NCIC collaborated with MBS and encouraged manufactures to take advantage of a window period in which getting certified is voluntary and enjoy recognition for quality products and attract consumers as a result.
‘As MBS, we value this collaboration between ourselves and NCIC. Going forward, we will make certification mandatory to ensure consumers of these products are safeguarded while ensuring that the construction industry pursues transformation and quality’, said Billy Gwaza of MBS.