WHO WE ARE

WHO WE ARE

In the present environment of increased globalization, empirical evidence suggests that standardization and its conformity assessment companions have a very important role to play in technological progress, health, safety, environmental protection, quality promotion, productivity and trade promotion. It is where originated the initiative of the Rwandan Government to establish Quality Infrastructures in the vision of supporting the achievement of the set strategic development goals and among others the Rwandan Quality Infrastructure. Rwanda Standards Board is a Government institution that was created in 2002 with the overall mission of providing standards based solutions for trade promotion and consumer protection.

Started as Rwanda Bureau of Standards as per the Lawnº 03/2002 of 19/01/2002 determining its mission, organization and functioning, and restructured in 2013 to increase productivity and efficiency, Rwanda Bureau of Standards changed its name into Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) established by Rwanda Government Legislation N° 50/2013 of 28/06/2013 determining the mission, organization and functioning of the Rwanda Standards Board to undertake all activities pertaining to the development of Standards, Conformity Assessment and Metrology services in the country and currently Rwanda Standards Board developed and published more than 2390 Standards covering the areas of food and agriculture, engineering, service, water and environment, chemistry, chemical and consumer products.

Vision

To be a highly reputed party in providing internationally recognized customer-suited standardization, metrology and conformity assessment services.

Mission

To provide quality and affordable standardization, metrology, quality testing and certification services for sustainable socio-economic development.

Core responsibilities of Rwanda Standards Board:

The following are the core responsibilities of Rwanda Standards Boards as defined by the Government of Rwanda:

  1. Establishment and publication national standards;

  2. To provide products and quality service certifications and monitor conformity for issued certifications;

  3. To provide legal, scientific and industrial metrology services;

  4. To drive the effective implementation of the Made in Rwanda Policy and Management of Made in Rwanda Logo,

  5. To carry out research in the areas of standards and metrology for the setting up of measurement standards and reference materials in the field of chemical metrology;

  6. To establish laboratories capable of conducting tests and offering testing services,

  7. Disseminating information on standards, technical regulations relating to standards and conformity assessment;

  8. To raise awareness and promote the importance of standards and quality service as tools to improve market access, technology transfer and sustainable development;

  9. To participate in monitoring standardization at national, regional and international level;

  10. To participate in putting in place technical regulations relating to standards;

  11. To represent the country at the regional and international standardization organizations ;

  1. To act as reference laboratory in the quality compliance;

  2. To carry out measurement and comparison of proficiency with same level regional and international institutions;

  3. To organize training programs in the area of standardization, metrology and conformity assessment;

  4. To advise the Government on defining, devising and implementing the standardization policy;

  5. To establish and develop relations and collaboration with other institutions at national, regional and international levels with similar mandate, whether public or private.

We provide internationally recognized services

In the vision of strengthening its delivered services for their international recognition, Rwanda Standards Boards improved and upgraded the level of its delivered services for their compliance on the applicable international standards and attestation of conformity and competences on various schemes were issued by the internationally recognized certification and accreditation body.

Due to proven competence and professionalism in standardization related field, Rwanda Standards Board is an active member of the following but not limited to these regional and international standardization organizations:

  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO),

  • International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC),

  • International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML),

  • Codex Alimentarius,

  • African Organization for Standardization (ARSO),

  • The African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission (AFSEC),

In addition to this, to ensure compliance of standards development processes and corporate support services to the applicable international relevant standards, Rwanda Standards Board established a quality management systems according to ISO 9001 providing requirements for Quality Management System, and the established management system was assessed to check its compliance with the applicable statutory, regulatory, contractual and customer requirements; and certified by one of the global leading conformity assessment bodies (Deutsche GesellschaftzurZertifizierung von Management systemen (DQS) Holdings GmbH).

“RSB services are delivered in consideration of gender equality to ensure inclusive sustainable socio-economic development”