KAMPALA – Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has phased out some of the charges which were previously being levied on enterprises seeking certification of their products and these include Initial Audit Fees of Shs 250,000 and Surveillance Audit Fees of Shs 250,000. This implies that UNBS will from 1st July,2021 conduct the certification and surveillance audits on Enterprises seeking to acquire the Quality Mark (Q-Mark) free of charge.
Micro and Small Enterprises will now only pay certification fees of Shs 500,000 while Medium and Large Enterprises will pay Shs 1,000,000 to be issued with a permit to use the quality mark, valid for a year (12 months).The new fees imply a reduction in certification fees by Shs 350,000 for Micro and Small Enterprises and Shs 300,000 for Medium and Large Enterprises. Enterprises will continue to pay laboratory testing fees depending on the parameters to be analyzed for their individual products.
However, enterprises involved in the manufacturing of bottled water, alcoholic beverages (excluding wine) and carbonated & non-carbonated soft drinks will pay certification fees of Shs 1,000,000 per brand because of the additional regulatory input required to monitor their safety and quality before being put on the market.
The above intervention is aimed at promoting implementation of quality standards by enterprises and help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the private sector to recover from the devastating – effects of Covid-19 on their businesses. This is also in line with UNBS mandate to promote Buy Uganda-Build Uganda (BUBU) and enhancing building competitiveness- of Ugandan exports to the regional and international markets.
The bureau also provides batch certification where enterprises pay testing fees and Shs 500,000 for batch certificate (Certificate of Conformity).This is a reduction from Shs 600,000 previously charged for this service.
They also provide pre-market approval for products which have not yet completed the certification process where MSMEs pay testing fees and Shs 250,000 to get the authorization letter, while Medium and Large Enterprises pay testing fees and Shs 500,000 for the authorization letter, valid for 6 months.
The new certification fees structure have been highly subsidized and only consider recoverable costs in terms of man-hour input for both onsite and offsite certification processes as well as administrative overheads.
UNBS has also extended the payment period from 7 days to 21 days from date of payment notice.
However, all fees are paid to UNBS through Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) before the audit. This will allow timely insurance of permit to use UNBS Quality Mark immediately after the certification decision is made.
- Clients can apply for product certification via https://cims.unbs.go.ug
- The Certification fees and Testing fees billed should be paid on separate bank payment slips under the respective departments.
- After payment, the Payment Registration Numbers (PRNs) will be submitted through your UNBS Certification account on hhtps://cims.unbs.go.ug
- The audit date and audit plan will be communicated upon submission and UNBS verification of the Payment Registration Numbers [PRNs] for the billed fees.
- Inquires on certification fees can be sent to: certification@unbs.go.ug
Note: Micro Enterprises – An enterprise employing maximum 4 people; annual sales/revenue turnover of maximum Shs 10,000,000 and total assets of maximum Shs 10,000,000
Small Enterprise – An enterprise employing maximum 50 people; annual sales/revenue turnover of maximum Shs 100,000,000 and total assets of maximum Shs 100,000,000.
Medium Enterprise – An enterprise employing a maximum of 100 people; annual sales/revenue turn over of not more than Shs 360,000,000 and a total asset of not more than 360,000,000.
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has been implementing the certification scheme since 1995 guided by the UNBS Act, 1983 (as amended 2013) and now the UNBS (Use of Distinctive Mark) regulations 2018.
About UNBS
The Uganda Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a government agency responsible for developing, promoting and enforcing national standards in the protection of Public Health and Safety, and the environment against harmful and sub-standard products.
SOURCE; UNBS Blog
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