The Ministry of Trade (MoT) is set to take measures against importers who have failed to comply with the ministry's standard quality certification requirement for 57 items, Fortune reported.

This Ministry's directive issued in July 2013, requires all imported goods that are listed under the Mandatory Ethiopian Standards (MES) to secure a laboratory test certificate from an authorized international company.

"The Ministry will automatically take measures against any failure to comply with the regulation,” Tamiru Geno, Import & Export Quality Control director at the Ministry of Trade, told Fortune.

Tamiru said the Ministry has urged importers on several occasions to obtain their certificates.

“But many of them have still failed to do so,” he said.

So far, the Ministry has given warning to about 40 importers, including 10 soap importers, over the items which fails to meet the mandatory standards.

The Ministry is set to take measures, which might include revocation of licenses against importers who import goods without undergoing the necessary certification, according to Fortune.

Source: Fortune