Rwanda’s exports are expected to flourish in value and volume after the establishment of ultra-high laboratories.

According to the Director General of Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS), Mark Bagabe Cyubahiro, the laboratories, which were launched last year, facilitate traders by improving the standards of export goods for regional and international markets.

"Manufacturers can now bring their products; tests are going to be availed here, meaning that we are promoting export trade.

This will improve the credibility of our products,” he said, yesterday, while briefing journalists on the current progress the bureau has achieved in executing its obligations.

Cyubahiro said the laboratories will help in weighing the products, measuring the quantity of ingredients to the standards compliant with international market demands.

Government is determined to increase export receipts but the goal is reversed by non-compliancy of local goods to internationally required standards.

Cyubahiro said that manufacturers were facing problems of delay since RBS was subcontracting laboratories from neighbouring countries to carry out tests which would restrain manufacturers from
venturing into export.

The RBS boss also believes that the new laboratories that cost an estimated Rwf1b will also help in fast tracking efficiency in import quality testing to restrain substandard products entering the Rwandan
market.

"We are going to minimise the time traders have been spending waiting for the results,” he said adding that many traders however have been strict with sub-standard products that have hit the East African market.

Mukunzi Antoine director Biochemical laboratories said that a special laboratory to test fuel products has been fully equipped to curb down the habit of fuel haulers who have been mixing paraffin in diesel and petrol in order to make abnormal profits at the cost of the economy.

"These people are in a habit of mixing paraffin in diesel and petrol because it is cheap and this is bringing problems of pollution.

Last year we tested 200 trucks and we found out 20 had mixed fuels”, he
said

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