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The government has announced that the Zambia Accreditation Agency Bill was currently undergoing final internal review at the Ministry of Justice before being submitted to Parliament for further scrutiny.
Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary for Investment and Industrialization, Crusivia Hichikumba, stated that the Bill will establish the Zambia Accreditation Service, which will be responsible for accrediting conformity assessment bodies.
In a speech delivered on his behalf by Brian Moonga, Director of Technical Regulations at the Ministry, Hichikumba made the remarks during the commemoration of World Accreditation Day on Monday at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, Kenneth Kaunda Wing, in Lusaka.
The 2025 World Accreditation Day theme is “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)”, which highlights the vital role accreditation plays in supporting SMEs to drive economic growth, innovation, and employment.
Hichikumba acknowledged the complexity and time required to establish a national accreditation body, noting that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) created the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS) to serve member states.
“In a similar vein, Zambia is hosting the National Accreditation Focal Point to coordinate, promote, and administer accreditation services and act as a liaison with SADCAS,” he said.
Hichikumba urged stakeholders to access SADCAS services through this focal point under his Ministry, noting that SADCAS is recognized by international accreditation bodies such as the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the International Accreditation Forum.
He revealed that Zambia currently had:
41 laboratories accredited under SADCAS,
18 under ISO 15189 (medical laboratories),
1 under ISO/IEC 17020 (inspection),
4 under ISO/IEC 17021 & ISO/IEC 17065 (certification), and
18 under ISO/IEC 17025 (testing laboratories).
Hichikumba emphasized the critical role of SMEs in Zambia’s economic development, particularly in job creation and poverty alleviation, especially among women and youth.
To support SME growth, the government has established the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development.
However, Hichikumba noted that SMEs still face significant challenges, including competition from large firms, limited access to finance, high operational costs, and market entry barriers.
To address these challenges, he said the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS), a statutory body under the Ministry, launched the Certified Local Supplier Scheme (CLSS) to help SMEs meet quality and food safety standards required by high-value retailers.
“The CLSS provides mentorship, training, testing, packaging and labeling guidance, and support for legal compliance to help small producers thrive,” he said.
He stressed that accreditation ensured the competence, integrity, and impartiality of laboratories and certification bodies, thus promoting trust in products and services, facilitating trade, and contributing to economic growth.
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