Major streets in Lira City are now filled with vendors offering various snacks, such as chips, roasted and cooked chicken, chapatti, beans, and other fast foods.
I have been in Nwoya District for some time but I have not seen anyone from UNBS neither Ministry of energy coming to do the supervision but people are crying of contaminated fuel, people are crying of less fuel being provided by the pumps.” SP Regan Magombe, PDC Nwoya district.
Sylvia Kirabo, the UNBS spokesperson explained how it is the responsibility of every stakeholder involved in the process to ensure quality. Adding that UNBS is currently conducting sensitization.
The Committee conducted a due diligence visit to the company's purported offices in Dubai and India and found that the company did not have a physical presence in those locations. Additionally, the Committee discovered that the Chinese firm does not have offices in Uganda.
Patricia Bageine Ejalu, the Deputy Executive Director in charge of Standards at UNBS says food quality remains a key issue that needs to be addressed in the education sector if learners are to be safe since most food suppliers are not certified.
Charles Musekuura, the Chairperson of the UNBS Board, informed the committee that Ebiru's actions resulted in financial loss for the entity, as he did not seek prior clearance from the Secretary to the Treasury and Parliament.
According to UNBS Senior Public Relations Officer Barbara Kamusiime, millers are expected to register and certify their milling factories, construct a well-established premise for milling, ensure quality packaging of products, and have proper milling machines before they start operating.
The proposal has been made by grain dealers and millers in Masaka, so the standards body rolls down its operations to farmers other than focusing on the processors who join the food production chain as second and third-party players.
Speaking at the meeting which will be on until the 13th of September, Dr. Bayo Fatunmbi, the Acting World Health Organisation Representative to Uganda said they recently did an assessment of the food safety situation in the country and generated evidence that they will use to evaluate the gaps that can be filled in the country to be able to match with globally acceptable standards.
Rogers Kakooza, the Director of AVAH Spices Limited in Wakiso district, says that he has operated for four years and is yet to acquire certification from UNBS. He cites the high costs involved in testing and certifying the products compared to his capital.
UNBS' Patricia Bagaine says they gace a big challenge of people lacking knowledge on calibration of products, standards and weighing scales, and collaboration with private sector will broaden knowledge of standard in the private sector.
Kitaka says that the most common cause of diaper rash is when a baby's nappy is not changed often as mothers try to save or are busy at work and yet some diapers contain preservative chemicals that some babies are allergic to.
Currently, a kilo of unhusked groundnuts is 1,500 Shillings while a kilo of threshed groundnuts ranges between 2,000 to 2,400 Shillings. Yet last year, a kilo of unthreshed groundnuts was bought at 2700 while a kilo or threshed groundnuts was selling at 3,500 shillings.
The multibillion laboratory is one of the three regional laboratories, the others in Mbale and Mbarara cities whose construction is funded by the Danish Embassy through TradeMark East Africa-TMEA. UNBS kicked off the construction of the three regional laboratories last year.
The LPG standards and the Weights and Measures rules and other Statutory Instruments provide that the name and address of the manufacturer of the goods should be indicated.
During the meeting, Ronald Ahimbisibwe, the Principal Certification Officer and Head Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development at UNBS explained they briefed the association leaders early this year on the requirements and they were expected to send the message to their members.
The committee was meeting energy and soft drink producers who were tasked to explain misleading advertisements about the capacity of their products to arouse sexual enhancement, heal diseases like cancer, pressure and diabetes among others.
In the meeting, several MPs said the different energy drinks producing companies were misleading people with adverts indicating that their products boost sexual stamina and correct erectile dysfunction.
By June, last year, all public places, including private and government offices, shops, hotels, and later churches, among others, were required to have the hand-held thermometers, before being allowed to open their businesses.
