COMESA has handed over to the Government of Zambia a mobile Prover worth USD155,000 to be used by the national metrology agency. Mobile Prover is used in calibration of bulk meters in the fuel sector to increases accuracy in the standards used thus enhancing confidence in the quantity purchased or sold. These in turn facilitate fair local and international trade practices.
COMESA Assistant Secretary General in charge of programmes, Ambassador Kipyego Cheluget handed over the equipment to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry, Mr. Mushuma Mulenga on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at the Zambia Government Complex.
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The provision of the equipment is part of a comprehensive COMESA Regional Integration Support Programme (RISM) extended to Zambia under the COMESA Adjustment Facility COMESA. The programme is funded by the European Union.
The total support granted to Zambia amounts to 5.8 million EURO’s and has included support to the adoption and implementation of harmonised standards and metrology requirements to strengthen regional and international fair-trading practices.
The support also includes the procurement of the Central Processing Centre (CPC) Equipment which has connected Zambia Metrology Agency (ZMA) to the Zambia Electronic Single Window (ZESW). This system rides on the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) Customs System the ASYCUDA World and this platform has enabled the agency to monitor products and instruments of metrology interest as they are imported into the country through Zambia’s 28 automated entry points.
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In a statement presented by Dr Cheluget, the Secretary General of COMESA Chileshe Kapwepwe noted that owing to the opening of wider regional market of 1.3 billion people under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), there is great importance in investing in quality infrastructure that ensures integrity of exports and quality control.
“For the region to fully achieve its potential, the facilitation of a conducive environment for the growth and development of the private sector is key,” she noted. “This is why the Central Processing Centre is so important as it will help in the surveillance of imported pre-packaged products ensuring that the minimum metrology requirements are met.”
In his remarks, Mr Mulenga noted that the Zambia Metrology Agency will be able to monitor, regulate and assure compliance of imported goods, without unnecessary disruption in movement of imported goods and instruments.
“The accuracy of bulk flow meters is very critical in ensuring fuel security for the country as they inform the decision-making process in fuel supply management for our nation,” he said. “With the acquired equipment, monitoring will be undertaken in real-time, thereby enabling the ZMA to carry out its regulatory functions effectively.”
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