Engineer's body backs Kyambadde on PVoC

Jul 17, 2013

The war on counterfeits and substandard goods has taken a new twist with the Professional engineers body backing Trade Minister on issuance of Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVoC).

By Patrick Jaramogi

The war on counterfeits and substandard goods has taken a new twist with the Professional engineers body backing Trade Minister on issuance of Pre-Export Verification of Conformity to Standards (PVoC).

The engineers under their umbrella body, the Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers (UIPE) on Friday called on Trade Industry and Cooperative Minister Amelia Kyambadde to “tighten” the bolts on counterfeits.

“As engineers we shall stand behind you in the fight against counterfeits and substandard products which are detrimental to the consumers,” said UIPE President Jackson Mubangizi.

Mubangizi who was speaking at the 18th International Technology Conference at Silver Springs Hotel urged government to support engineers to address counterfeits in technology and food security.

The two day conference whose theme was engineering and food security attracted over 500 engineers from Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria Uganda and South Africa.

Mubangizi noted that with increased population the demand for food was already reaching alarming levels.
‘We don’t want to be taken by surprises that is why we are saying as engineers we use technological advancement to address issues of food security,” he said. He said the world over, nations have advanced due and developed due to technology.

Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde urged the engineers to unite and help government address issues of food security. “We can’t do much without engineers. The situation of food security is serious in East African region and we need to advance in agriculture through mechanization to address this,” she said.

Kyambadde noted that as government strives to improve on infrastructural development, it would also not sit and look as Uganda is turned into a dumping ground.

”These traders are striking because they want to hurt your profession. If you but substandard wires and wire some body’s house and it catches fire who will be blamed?” she asked.

“She vowed not to stop the scheme until “fakes” are wiped out. “Kenya has the same, Rwanda the same but have you heard them striking? I am happy I have backing from Parliament, I will not allow Uganda to be turned into a dumping ground for counterfeits,” she said.

She said countries within the East African Community were exerting a lot of pressure on Uganda to stop being a ‘dumping ground’ for substandard goods that were being re-exported into their countries

The traders Tuesday closed their shops demanding that the government halts the PVoC until a consensus is reached with the traders on the modalities of implementing the exercise including verifications costs.
She challenged the engineers to come up with practical solutions on how SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) can be supported to boost post-harvest and harvest handling.

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