Ethiopia Developing New National Quality Infrastructure

Addis Ababa April 18 /2019 Ethiopia is developing its own national quality infrastructure through the 50 million USD secured from the World Bank in a form of credit.

Ethiopia is developing a new National Quality Infrastructure through the 50 million USD secured from the World Bank in a form of credit.

The National Quality Infrastructure is a project that works on delivery of quality infrastructure development on selected export oriented sectors in the country.

The project is aimed at supporting Ethiopia to have its own national quality infrastructure that would help to improve export standard sectors such as textile, fruit and vegetable as well as other key items.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry today conducted a half day consultative meeting with fruit and vegetable producer and export companies to introduce the national quality infrastructure development and to learn major challenges in the manner of quality and standard in the course of export.  

Private Sector Engagement Specialist at the Project, Abate Argaw, told ENA that lack of national quality infrastructure is serious challenge in exporting quality products to the global market.

He said the World Bank has tipped the project for Ethiopia to have quality infrastructure to fill the missing gaps in standards and qualities of products and responding to the challenges of export sector.

The project is establishing the necessary linkage among standardization, metrology, accreditation and conformity assessments in bringing significant achievements on the export of products.

It was learned that the quality infrastructure enhances market access, facilitates product diversification, and increase investment opportunities and reduces cost of trade through avoiding duplication in testing and inspection, streamlining operations, and eliminating restrictive regulations.

Implementation of the project is already started last year and remain until 2022, it was indicated.

According to the World Bank, the Quality Infrastructure is required for the effective operation of the domestic market, and the international recognition of quality infrastructure services is vital to access to foreign markets.