UNBS gives manufacturers a year to comply with packaging regulation

Nov 16, 2020

UNBS senior metrologist, Josephine Nakyeyune, said the one year grace period was to allow stakeholders enough time to implement all the necessary changes, before the November 2021 enforcement deadline.

The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has given manufacturers, importers, and packers a one year grace period in which to comply with the new weights and measures, sale and labeling of goods regulation.

The regulation, which was amended in August 2020, seeks to ensure that pre-packaged goods on the market meet specifications of various standards such as correct weight and volume specifications.

UNBS senior metrologist, Josephine Nakyeyune, said the one year grace period was to allow stakeholders enough time to implement all the necessary changes, before the November 2021 enforcement deadline.

She said over time, weighing and measuring goods in the presence of customers has been gradually reducing, and will be limited to a few selected items in the near future, thus requiring enforcement of standards to protect the consumers.

"With the influx of supermarkets, the measuring and weighing of goods are now limited. We must therefore enforce regulations to protect the manufacturers, middlemen, and the consumers," she said during a web meeting with stakeholders.

A prepackage is any commodity that is made up as a unit or entity whose quantity has been pre-determined and indicated on its label prior to being offered for sale irrespective of whether such a product is enclosed in a container, wrapped in any manner, or unenclosed.

She said the new regulations would ensure compliance to set standards, of all goods packed in the absence of the consumer, as well as give value for money for both local and international consumers by eliminating underweight packs.

She said the regulations would also limit losses to manufacturers and packers in case of excess filling, and level the ground for all manufacturers and packers by providing standard quantities for prepackaged goods.

Additionally, she said, enforcement of the new regulations would eliminate deceptive and misleading information on product packages, remove unfair competition in trade, as well as deal with irrationality in pack sizes.

"We have observed unfair practices such as deliberately having insufficient information about the contents of the package on the labels, and we are saying that this must be dealt with because it is unethical," she said.

According to UNBS publicist, Sylvia Kirabo the foods and beverages sector is one of the fastest-growing in Uganda which has resulted in a growing demand for well-packaged products.

She said packaging is therefore important in building product brand identity and in ensuring that such a product meets requirements for certification.

She said in the new regulation, the use of deceptive labeling on product packages is prohibited.

She said products on the mart should also bear a name, is which commonly identified with the same product.

"We want the products to also bear a properly identifiable physical location such as the village name, plot number or street name, and should also show the Net quantity declaration such as kilogram, or grams in line with our new guidelines," she said.

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