Ministry calls for quality produce
…in a bid to diversify exports gains momentum
LINEO MALATALIANA
MASERU – The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development hosted a corporate workshop to promote the importance of Quality Awards for the growth and stability of the economy. The ministry through a team from the Department of Quality, Metrology and Technical Regulations (DQMTR) aims to promote the importance of exposing Basotho owned enterprises to the Southern African Development Community market by raising quality awareness.
Through this initiative, the ministry wants to promote the importance to setting mechanism for producers to meet international standards with a chance to export and grow the country’s economy.
The International Organisation for Standards (ISO) describes quality as the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfills requirements.
Qenehelo Lenka from the DQMTR said these requirements can be stated by the consumer, implied in technical terms and/or obligatory by law.
“Standards are important for the growth of an institution,” Lenka said as she showed the importance for businesses to adapt quality assured systems to warrant that the consumer gets what they pay for.
The moderator, Tsietsi Portas pointed out that the awareness will influence local enterprises to adhere to standards which will validate the quality of their consumers and potential clients.
Representatives from prominent enterprises in the country attended the workshop especially those who value the significance of delivering quality products and services to the consumer.
A representative from a local telecommunications company said the ministry should fully embrace Quality Award Awareness and advised them to seek sponsorship to propel the initiative into a national drive
The programme is centred on educating the companies represented on the worth of participating in the national quality awards as a stepping stone to qualifying for regional and international awards.
Keneuoe Thamae from the ministry gave a breakdown of the awards and the purpose of National Quality Awards.
Lihaelo Nkaota closed the workshop with a presentation on the awards criteria and categories.
“There are five categories, Product of the Year, Company of the Year, Service Provider of the year and Contributor to Quality,” she listed.
She clarified that in the service category; companies will be evaluated based on the type of service they provide which will ensure fairness.
The application is set to commence in September, followed by the award ceremony around November/December with submissions of winners to the Southern African Development Community – SADC Accreditation Service slated for January 2026.
