CCA and the Botswana Bureau of Standards to sign MoU

The Competition and Consumer Authority (CCA) and the Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) will on Wednesday 23rd September 2020 sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). 

The CCA is established under Section 4 of the Competition Act No. 4 of 2018 with the principal objective of the prevention of, and redress for anti-competitive practices in the economy as well as the removal of constraints on the free play of competition in the market. Further, CCA is mandated to protect the rights of consumers against unfair business practices and to implement the Consumer Protection Act No 5 of 2018. 

The Competition Act and the Consumer Protection Act empower the CCA to among others; undertake market inquiries, conduct surveys on consumer behaviour, consumption patterns, market prices, quality of products and business practices, and to cause the testing of products on the market to ensure that specifications, performance, quality and safety standards are adhered to.

BOBS is established under Section 3 of the Standards Act Cap 43:07 with the mandate of promoting standardisation and quality assurance in industry and commerce. The mandate encompasses promotion of standardisation and quality assurance in industry and commerce, with the aim of improving product quality, industrial efficiency and productivity, and the promotion of trade, so as to achieve optimum benefits for the public generally, particularly with regard to the health, safety, welfare, and protection of the consumer.

Under Section 3(2), BOBS is mandated amongst others to: Prepare, modify or amend and publish Botswana standards and any codes, make arrangements for, or provide facilities for, the examination and testing of commodities, grant, renew, suspend or cancel licences for use of standards marks; provide testing on behalf of Government, of locally manufactured or imported commodities, to determine compliance with the Act. 

Further, BOBS administers the Weights and Measures Act 2006 and its associated Regulations of 2007 with a view to secure consumer protection. This is done through the regulation of weighing and measuring instruments used in trade. 

Under Section 43 of the Consumer Protection Act, the CCA is mandated to establish a mechanism through which it can maintain regular contact with other regulators on the exercise of its mandate. Similarly, under section 3(2) (h) of the Standards Act, BOBS is expected to co-operate with the Government or any local authority or public body, or with the representatives of any industry or any person, with the aim of securing the adoption and practical application of standards.

To that end, the CCA and BOBS found it prudent to enter into a MoU for purposes of discharging their respective functions.  Among others, the MoU is intended to enable the two organisations to assist each other with data collection and analysis, inspection of business and products to ensure good quality for consumers, and the examination and testing of goods for compliance with the Standards and Consumer Protection laws.