Kampala — NEMKO AS, a Norwegian quality certification firm, has urged manufacturers to certify their products to increase their chances of accessing markets.

"A quality certificate does not create business, but gives business a possibility to compete on equal terms.

"It also demonstrates that the company meets international standards," Paal Eddie, the Nemko system certification section manager, said as the firm marked 10 years of operation in Uganda.

He said the company had certified over 60 companies in Uganda since its inception in 1998.

"We started helping companies establish quality systems. The question of certification emerged along the way," he said.

He said later, ISO 14001 for environment, ISO 22000 for food safety and OHSAS 18001 for work environment, were added.

Eddie said since 1991, the firm had been focusing on areas of system certification for quality with ISO 9001 and ISO 1400l for environment. "It has been a challenge to learn how business is run in Uganda using mostly Norwegian auditors. It has been a steep learning curve for many individuals," he said.

The company specialises in the electro-technical field, with testing, pre-compliance, direct access to markets and certification in a number of areas.

Eddie said Nemko was also a notified body for several European Directives by the European Union. He added that Nemko operates in 12 counties globally.