Quality compromised

The quality of imported products that are being sold in the local market has become a public topic of discussion. Certainly, the quality of products - both locally produced and imported - has always been a priority concern for consumers in every society. However, the level of the supervision of quality makes the situation better or worse. Above all, business ethics matters most and this has become elusive in Ethiopia.

In this respect fair trade has been ignored by some members of the business community. Speaking of unfair business practice every consumer in Ethiopia recalls the individuals who mix foreign materials in food items such as butter and berbere (hot pepper) in order to increase the amount of the products they sell to the public by endangering the wellbeing of the consumer. It is to be recalled that the Ethiopian Television Police program has repeatedly presented programs on such horrific crimes committed by greedy individuals.

Some make edible oil at home for sale in a very unhygienic method which poses a threat to health. These crimes are usually committed by uneducated individuals who are desperate to make a living. But it is shocking to learn that some legal importers are manipulating the expiry dates of products and channel them into the markets.

According to Mesay Girma, the director general of the Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia (QSAE), the authority allows food items with a minimum of a six-month shelf life. The authority requires that the imported canned foods must have expiry dates clearly printed on the labels. However, Mesay said some traders buy products whose shelve life is due to expire for cheap prices and change the labels. When the authority demands the expiry date to be stumped on the can, some traders are even able to manipulate the dates printed on the can.

“Some importers and distributors are gambling with the lives of people with the objective of reaping unfair profit. What we can do is to inspect the quality of imported items meet our requirements,” Mesay told a press conference Last Tuesday. “It is impossible for us to check the validity of the expire date and the standards of the products in every store all over the nation,” he added.

In the past nine months QSAE has banned 3,000 kg of marmalade, 1,532 kg of tomato ketch up, 550 kg spaghetti, 540 kg of corn, 300 kg of sugar, 95 kg of liquid chocolate, and 50 kg of beans from being imported into the country. The authority has also banned 732 liters of milk, 348.5 liters of hot sauce and 276 liters of soft drinks. The authority said these products failed to meet the country’s minimum quality standards, adding that the expiry date printed on some of the products were vague.

The problem is not only with food items. The quality of electric appliances is also a grave concern for the public. The sockets, bulbs, divider, adapter and other electric gadgets bought from the shops may not function after a few days. Or, at times, these products may develop a malfunction even before they are taken home. The quality of reinforcement bars is also at stake.

Mesay said the majority of products are being bought by state enterprises or other governmental institutions. “Sate enterprises, governmental organizations and private companies should come to us before they procure materials. For instance, Ayaat Real Estate always consults us before it buys different products,” Mesay told local reporters gathered in his office.

Consumers usually complain about the quality of products imported from China and India. Representatives of the Chambers of Commerce in these countries said that the problem lies with Ethiopian importers who always seek products of inferior quality for cheap prices.

The Ethiopian government has entered into agreement with the Chinese government to conduct preshipment inspection on Chinese goods destined to Ethiopia. Mesay said some importers who look for inferior quality products protested against the agreement. “To breach the agreement, these importers first take the products they bought from China to Dubai. From Dubai they import it here. In that case, they argue, products imported from Dubai do not need pre-inspection.”

Recently a Chinese delegation was here to discuss the issue. Officials of the QSAE have explained to the Chinese delegation how Ethiopian importers are bypassing the preshipment agreement. The Ethiopian and Chinese officials have agreed to make amendments to the agreement. The authority has prepared a document that amends the agreement. The documents states that any product manufactured in China should be certified by the Chinese standards body whether it is imported directly from China or other countries.

Last February, QSAE received the internal accreditation certificate for ISO 9001 from the German international accreditation body, TGA. Ethiopian companies seeking ISO certification spend a lot of money for expensive travel costs for international auditors who do the inspection. ISO certification is vital to access a foreign market. Products’ quality need to be certified by an internationally recognized accreditation body.

The authority recently certified three enterprises on system certification. Twelve more have applied for a similar certification.

The Reporter.