The Commerce, Industry and Services Association of Mozambique (ACIS) launched QUALIFICAR, a training programme designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the certification processes.
With Minister of Industry and Commerce Carlos Mesquita in attendance, Luís Magaço, chairman of the ACIS management council, noted that QUALIFICAR, the result of a partnership between ACIS and the consultancy company Insite, would support “the building of a more productive and competitive business sector, thereby contributing to the country’s socio-economic development”.
“This programme is adjusted to the specific circumstances of national companies. With the support of our partners, we aim to start training 300 companies throughout the national territory by the end of the year,” Luís Magaço explained.
The programme follows “relevant international standards”, as part of a strategy to develop competitiveness and improve performance.
“The certification granted by accredited and independent bodies is considered an adequate tool to demonstrate the compliance and supply capacity of local companies according to international standards,” Magaço elaborated.
ACIS is committed to developing other actions in support of national companies, with the emphasis on removing barriers within the domestic business environment.
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Minister of Industry and Commerce Carlos Mesquita said that the certification of Mozambican small and medium enterprises was essential to their attaining the quality standards required in the international market.
The minister emphasised that the adoption of calibration and verification of measuring and certification instruments for products and services were “a crucial factor” in the survival and competitiveness of companies.
“This process can ensure companies’ effective and sustainable participation in the supply chain of goods and services in the national territory, and in particular for large projects,” Minister Mesquita said.
“Mozambique needs to add value to its wide range of primary products, and for this to happen, the country’s industrialisation is more than ever a national imperative. The private sector is preponderant and a key player here, and the government must approve policies and regulations to improve the business environment,” he concluded.
Source: Lusa / Rádio Moçambique via Club of Mozambique