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Government is working towards establishing a National Accreditation Agency through legislation aimed at improving the quality of local products and enhancing their competitiveness in regional and international markets.
Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary for Trade, Lilian Bwalya, said the proposed agency was in line with the National Quality Policy and will strengthen Zambia’s quality assurance framework once fully established.
She said this during the commemoration of World Accreditation Day in Lusaka on Wednesday, noting that the initiative is intended to improve coordination and delivery of accreditation services within the country.
Bwalya explained that although the process required careful planning, adequate capacity and resources, Zambia currently accessed accreditation services through the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS).
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“To facilitate coordination, promotion and delivery of accreditation services locally, Government, through the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, has established the National Accreditation Focal Point to serve as a link between Zambia and SADCAS,” she said.
She said this arrangement had helped strengthen the capacity of laboratories, inspection bodies and certification agencies to meet both national and regional standards.
Bwalya revealed that Zambia had made notable progress in building its quality infrastructure, with more than 41 laboratories currently accredited under SADCAS.
Of these, 18 are accredited under ISO 15189 for medical laboratories, another 18 under ISO/IEC 17025 for testing laboratories, four under ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17065 for certification bodies, and one under ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection services.
She said accreditation remained a key pillar of Zambia’s national quality infrastructure, supporting critical sectors such as health, agriculture, mining, construction and manufacturing.
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