The Seychelles Bureau of Standards (SBS) has joined other quality and standard partners in the region to form the Quality Movement whose main goal is to introduce a Quality Label for the Indian Ocean.

The Quality Movement, initiated under the phased-out PRIDE (Projet Regional Intégral du Développement), is still in the preparatory stage, but is expected to be officially launched on November 14 to coincide with International Standards Day. The Quality Movement is being put together by representatives from the national bureau of standards, quality bodies and the chamber of commerce and industries from the five-member countries of the Indian Ocean Commission (COI). The secretariat of the regional movement will be based at the headquarters of the Quality Movement bureau in Mauritius.

Once launched, the Quality Movement National Quality Award and Regional Quality Award will be introduced in the five-member countries, targeting firms attempting to improve the quality of products and services.  

Speaking to Business Nation after he attended a meeting of the movement's steering committee held in Mauritius in April, the managing director of SBS, Mr Irene Joseph, explained that the movement was important for Seychelles, a country which he said had limited natural resources and few export generating sectors.

The main aim of the movement, he said, was to improve the quality of products and services in the region, yet taking into consideration each country’s specificities.

He observed that through the movement, countries from the region were coming together to cope with the globalisation phenomenon in commerce and international competition, adding that Seychelles could not stand on its own.

The Quality Movement, he pointed out, should be seen as a vehicle to further enhance competitiveness among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) amidst the growth of economic liberalisation.

Mr Joseph said that through the movement, the SMEs in Seychelles would benefit from both national and regional training exchanges which would help pave the way and open new doors for regional trade and transfer of technology.

“Given the advancement of globalisation, we in the region have to stand together and show the more developed countries that since we adhere to international standards, regulations and practices, we can produce quality and competitive goods,” he added.

“As a regional movement we can help make our voice heard and help open up the way for our export-oriented businesses,” Mr Joseph said.

The movement will also address issues threatening to slow down the process of quality improvement in the region.

April's meeting was organised to consolidate ideas, strategies and adopt the formulated charter for the Quality Movement, a document which is yet to be endorsed by the Government of Seychelles.

In June, the 15-member steering committee will meet again to adopt and extend means of cooperation with other regional bodies like COMESA (Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa) and SADC (Southern African Development Community).

The initiation of the project was financed by PRIDE, but once launched the movement will have to source its own funding. Besides membership contribution the Quality Movement will also explore other opportunities for assistance through other quality partners, such as the SQMT COMESA scheme (Standards Quality, Metrology and Testing) and the SADC SQUAM (Standards Quality Assurance Accreditation and Metrology) and through the COI CCTN (the Committee of Technical Cooperation and Normalisation). 

The formation of the movement came after a Quality Convention organised in Madagascar in July last year. The convention saw the presentation of reports on the quality status in the five countries and following discussions, it was decided that all countries must work towards raising the quality of products and services in the region to further facilitate exchanges, namely in trade and consultancy.

Bureau of standards or movements of quality which were represented agreed to work on action plans to improve the quality of service delivery and products in their respective countries, and involve as much as possible all the players in the economic sector through sensitisation and training in quality assurance management. 

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