Manufacturers seeking Standardisation Mark (SM) will now be issued with a two year permit accessible electronically beginning starting July 1 2020, the Kenya Bureau of Standards has announced.
The revision is part of the standard body's move to improve efficiency and enhance ease of doing business in Kenya by eliminating logistical and administrative challenges
“Under the revised SM scheme, manufacturers will be issued with a permit that is valid for two years and will also be able to apply and make payment for the SM permit online,” said Bernard Njiraini, Managing Director, KEBS.
KEBS will also issue guidelines for accepting test reports which have been done in accredited laboratories for the purpose of product certification.
The Standardisation Mark permit, a mandatory requirement for placement of goods in the Kenyan market, is issued to manufacturers for products that have complied with established standards.
“Under the revised SM scheme, the issuance of Standardisation Mark Permits will be based on factory inspection and product sampling for laboratory tests,"said Njiraini.
He said throughout the two year period, KEBS inspectors will carry out targeted and random market surveillance, factory inspection and sampling the products for testing.
In the revised scheme, firms will be required to maintain in-house testing and quality control records.
KEBS has developed a guideline document for remote assessment activities to complement the traditional on-site assessment activities during extraordinary events or circumstances such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as part of the business continuity strategy.
Currently, 14,400 valid SM permits have been issued by KEBS to manufacturers.
