KEBS Board In search of pre-export verification firms in four countries

The Board of the Kenya Bureau of Standards has began a screening process to verify the capacity and the gap of pre-export partner companies that has led to concerns of dumping of sub-standard goods in Kenya.

The exercise comes after KEBS suspended the activities of two companies licensed to offer pre-export verification of conformity services following a crackdown on substandard imported sugar, electronics and fertilizer last year.

“Following recent concerns about the effectiveness of the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVOC) program this visit is intended to enable the NSC to familiarize themselves with the operations of PVOC program and assess the capacity of the PVOC service providers in these countries on the objectives of the PVoC program,” said a statement from KEBS.

The KEBS Board said it will visit four companies in Japan, China, India, and Dubai with the aim of deploying better strategies in the Pre Verification program as it explores ways of extending the program to cover other products not captured in the contracts like medical equipment.

The PVOC companies are; CCIC, INTERTEK, COTECNA, BUREAU VERITAS and QISJ.

“The visit will benefit the country through better strategies employed in the PVOC program to lock out substandard products,” read part of the statement.