The Ethiopian Standards Agency expressed its concern that few of its 121 mandatory standards are observed. Last Wednesday, Legesse Gabrie, director of the Standards Preparation Directorate of the Agency, told journalists that many companies are not complying with labeling and marking requirements of the Agency. Many of them are advertising irresponsibly, disregarding both voluntary and mandatory labeling and marking  standards of the country.

Legesse said that the Agency had no regulatory power and check-ins in the fields for proper implementation of the standards, however, it is concerned about the improper behavior of producers in complying to some 8,000 national standards. Last month alone, Council of National Standards approved 566 national standards out of which 103 were revisions from the previous approval. were revised from the previous approval.

Some 153 national standards of Ethiopia concerns the electro-mechanical industry, followed by the chemical and chemical products to which over 100 new standards are approved, while the health, safety and environmental sector absorbs 67 of the new standards.

Source: The Reporter