RWANDA BUREAU OF STANDARDS Newsletter - EAC …

1 RWANDA BUREAU OF STANDARDS . Newsletter October - December 2010 / Newsletter 1. Quarterly Newsletter Issue 9 October-December 2010. 77 new RWANDA STANDARDS Approved! RBS Calls the Public to Benefit from Quality Marks Launched Box 7099 Kigali- RWANDA Tel:+250 586 1003 Fax: +250 583 305 Table of Contents 32. FOREWORD 3. Relevancy of 4. Quality Management Systems Certification 4. Social Responsibility Standard Launched! 6. ISO Regional Course on Referencing and Adopting International STANDARDS 7. Newly Approved STANDARDS 8. Codex Alimentarius Commission 12. Quality policy 14. Policy statement on impartiality 15. Policy to safeguard confidentiality 16. RBS AND GIZ TARGET EXPORT PROMOTION : 17. MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS 18. SAFETY AND QUALITY, 18. PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED IMPORTS 20. GOODS REJECTED REPORT OF THE 4th TRIMESTER 22. RBS Hosted a National Consultative Meeting on the Draft EAC Metrology Bill 23.

2 Quality Inspection for Food Commodities: Cereals and Pulses 24. RWANDA Hosted the 27. 5th Regional Steering Committee Meeting of EAC/UNIDO/NORAD Project 27. TACKLING CLIMATE CHANGE 28. THROUGH STANDARDS 28. The Role of Legal Metrology 30. in National and International Trade 30. All-Natural Choices avoid Synthetic Additives and Refined Sugar 33. 24 13 34. October - December 2010 / Newsletter 3. FOREWORD. Dear Readers, I. t is my pleasure to welcome you to the 9th issue of the Quarterly Newsletter of RWANDA BUREAU of STANDARDS . This issue contains useful information on activities that marked the Standardization areas from October to December 2010. Major questions asked always relate to the safety of products on our market; do they meet quality STANDARDS , and how far are we going to enable our products' competitiveness globally? This issue brings the last of the series of articles on the relevancy of Quality Management System (QMS ISO 9001) and information on STANDARDS requirements on building a socially responsible society.

3 I hope the series of articles helped readers, Managers and various workplaces assess their work practices, improve and strengthen their businesses accordingly while aiming at provision of quality products and services. During the quarter, RBS launched new Quality Marks (Standardization Marks) and celebrated the World STANDARDS Day. RBS and German International Cooperation (GIZ) also launched a training campaign aimed at Certification of Rwandan products in order to increase their market access. The first phase of the campaign targeted the product sectors of tea, cement, milk and milk products, maize flour and juice where some of the stakeholders were trained on Food Safety Management System (FSMS ISO 22000) and others on QMS, ISO 9001. In this issue, we report 77 new approved RWANDA STANDARDS covering a whole range of priority sectors of our economy.

4 We are grateful to all stakeholders who contribute technical input in developing and approving STANDARDS . We also bring to our readers'. attention the list of prohibited and restricted goods for imports facilitation and awareness in RWANDA in order to avoid dumping, injury to consumers and financial losses to the traders. RBS continues to provide services that promote fair trade and consumer protection through applicability of accurate measurements. This issue reports the National Consultative Meeting on Draft EAC Metrology Bill as well as the role of Legal Metrology in national and regional economic growth. This issue also contains information on tackling climate change through STANDARDS and provides consumer s health safety information. Please enjoy reading this issue and know more of what is done in the standardization sector in the quest for doing business, public safety and protection of the environment.

5 Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe Director General 4 RWANDA BUREAU of STANDARDS Relevancy of Quality Management Systems Certification This is the last of the articles evidenced by the rate at which and therefore every possibility that have been running in the companies are rushing to be ISO should be exploited to ensure previous RBS Newsletter issues STANDARDS certified. According they are satisfied. We also on why a Business entity needs to ISO survey 2008, slightly saw that top Leadership's to make quality implementation above 708,070 companies were focus as well as valuing the its priority. ISO 9001 certified, however, organisation's employees are Due to globalization, after just one year, in 2009; important and that a Business multinational and national ISO Survey statistics show that entity should be viewed as strong companies are fighting by the end of the year 2009, a system with interrelated to be the dominant forces in the 1,064,785 companies were processes of which once one world market.

6 While prices used certified(Source: ISO database is neglected, the whole system to be known as the selling factor ). is negatively affected. Hence, of most commodities, the trend In issues 6 and 7, we noted continual improvement must has changed and quality is the that a Business entity's success always be in every employee's most selling preposition; this is depends mostly on its clients mind otherwise the system risks October - December 2010 / Newsletter 5. withering off. the Business entity starts to fall beneficial supplier relationship In this piece, we are going into jeopardy. and they include; Clear and to see the last two reasons At RWANDA BUREAU open communication, sharing why implementing a Quality of STANDARDS , benefits of information and future plans, Management System is essential making decisions based on establishing joint development in every serious Business entity; analysis of data (records) and and improvement activities, Factual Approach to decision information include making inspiring, encouraging and making and mutually beneficial informed decisions on internal recognizing improvements and supplier relationships.

7 Promotions, office rotations, achievements by suppliers and;. Every successful business trainings, re-training, and last but not least, establishing makes effective decisions material rewards. relationships that balance based on the analysis of data As well as Clients and short-term gains with long-term and information. Decisions Business entity staff, Suppliers considerations. concerning Promotion, are critical to the performance of These benefits and many Demotion, Material rewards any business. others not mentioned have etc. should be made depending It is a fact that a business resulted in multinational on facts arrived at by analyzing entity and its suppliers are organizations rushing for ISO. performance records otherwise interdependent; hence a certifications (see table below). the morale of employees may mutually beneficial relationship and hence unfortunately be weakened and thus paralyze enhances the ability of both to dominating emerging Local the business entity.

8 Once the create value and maxmise on Small and Medium Enterprises. employees don't find out clearly clients' satisfaction levels. why certain decisions in a There are a number of Business entity were arrived at, merits in ensuring mutually S/N ISO STANDARDS Certificates issued up end December 2009. 1 ISO 9001:2000 and 2008: Quality management systems- 1 064 785. requirements 2 ISO 14000: Environmental Management requirements with 223 149. guidance for use 3 ISO/TS 16949:2002 (2002 and 2009 editions): Quality 41 240. management systems-Particular requirements for the application of ISO 9001 for automotive production and relevant service part organizations 4 ISO 13485:2003: Medical devices-Quality management 16 424. systems Requirements for regulatory purpose 5 ISO/IEC 27001:2005:Information technology security tech- 12 934. niques-Information security Management System-require- ments 6 ISO 22000:2005: Food Safety management systems 13 881.

9 Requirements for any Organization in the food chain 6. S C H E M AT I C O V E R V I E W O F I S O 2 6 0 0 0. RWANDA BUREAU of STANDARDS Clause 1 Clause 5. Scope Two fundamental practices Guidance to all types Recognizing social Stakeholder identification of organizations, regardless of social responsibility and engagement of their size or location responsibility Clause 2 Social responsibility Clause 6. Terms and core subjects Organizational governance definitions Definition of key terms Sustainable development Maximizing an organization's contribution to Community Labour Fair operating Consumer involvement Human rights The environment issues practices practices and development Clause 3. Understanding social responsibility Related actions and expectations History and characteristics;. relationship between Integrating social Clause 7.

10 Social responsibility and The relationship of an organization's Understanding the social sustainable development responsibility characteristics to social responsibility responsibility of the organization throughout an organization Clause 4. Principles Practices for of social responsibility integrating social Voluntary initiatives Communication on social responsibility responsibility Accountability for social responsibility thoughout an Transparency organization Ethical behaviour Reviewing and improving Enhancing credibility Respect for stakeholder interests an organization's actions and practices regarding social related to social responsibility responsibility Respect for the rule of law Respect for international norms of behaviour Respect for human rights Bibliography: Authoritative sources Annex: Examples of voluntary initiatives and additional guidance and tools for social responsibility Social Responsibility Standard Launched!