JUBA — The South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) on Wednesday threatened importers of substandard goods with the risk of losing their license.
This came few days after the regulatory order for the return of three trucks carrying maize grains and beans deemed unfit for human consumption to Uganda.
Gloria Joseph Nyoka, executive director of the National Bureau of Standards, told Sudans Post on Wednesday any dealer found importing substandard goods will lose their license and have their goods confiscated.
“It is important to take action and send these consignments back. If a company repeats this offense several times, we have the right to call back their import or export license. You cannot continue doing what is not acceptable,” Nyoka said.
Nyoka said regulation would not tolerate the importation of goods deemed harmful for human consumption.
“We give warnings, but when companies repeat too many times, their licenses will be withdrawn,” she emphasized.
Nyoka explained that the Bureau is mandated to ensure standardization and conformity assessment, including testing, quality assurance, and certification for both food and non-food items.
She said they have resorted to re-exporting consignments deemed harmful for human consumption to their countries of origin.
She added that destroying the goods locally could have environmental impacts and health-related issues.
“When we reject consignments, it is because we have verified that they are not safe for consumption. Destroying them inside the country can also pose risks to the environment, which later affect human health. That is why many consignments must go back.”
She said the bureau is working under the East African Standards framework (SQMT Act), which allows non-compliant goods to be re-exported.
She noted that the importation of substandard goods has significantly decreased since 2023, achieving compliance levels of 60 to 70 percent with import standards.
Since then, the SSNBS has upgraded its equipment, strengthened regulations, and built staff capacity to improve monitoring, according to her.
She called on consumers to remain vigilant and to report counterfeit, expired, or substandard products to its offices.
