Dr. Emile Bienvenu, Chairman of RSB Board of Directors and Guest of Honor addressing the media

Each year on 14 October, the members of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) celebrate the World Standards Day (WSD), which is a means of paying tribute to the collaborative efforts of the thousands of experts worldwide who develop the voluntary technical agreements that are published as international standards. The theme for this year's WSD is “Standards Build Trust”. Standards connect us with reliable modes of communication, codes of practice and trusted frameworks for cooperation. Introducing common interpretations on reciprocal sides of a communication or transaction, standards are essential to mutually beneficial trade and resource efficient international commerce.
Social interaction relies on common respect for fundamental sets of norms, concepts or meanings – international standards codify these norms to ensure that they are accessible to all. About the 2016 Theme for Rwanda

For this year, Rwanda World Standards Day emphasis has been laid on raising awareness of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control (HACCP), and the theme chosen is “Standards, the Pillar of Food security”. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a system which identifies, evaluates and controls hazards which are significant for food safety. It is an effective tool to prevent adverse health effects (biological, chemical and physical hazards) due to food contamination.
  The HACCP system provides protection for manufacturers, food service businesses and consumers from unsafe food. If unclean food or food that can make people sick accidentally gets into the market, the HACCP system provides a way for the business to accurately find out where the food came from, what caused it to be unsafe, how it was able to get through their quality control system and the location of all the foods in that same batch. This way, the manufacturer can recall the unsafe batch and update their process to prevent another incident. This ensures that foods which reach the consumer is safe and clean. HACCP is exclusively meant for companies preparing or producing food or medicines.  This varies from post-harvest activities, restaurants in hotels, schools, hospital etc, food processing units/ factory/industry as well as pharmaceutical industries and the like. Benefits of implementing HACCP are:

• Creating a good reputation and boosting customer confidence
• Increasing business & Swells profits
• Enhance staff morale and loyalty
• Continuous improvement of food safety
• Key requirements to implement HACCP

Since 1970, World Standards Day has been celebrated in various ways throughout the world. Conferences, exhibitions, seminars, TV and radio interviews, and even “World Standards Week" events take place annually on or around 14 October. Prior to the World standards day celebration, Rwanda Standards Board organized the World Standards Week from 10th to 13 October 2016 to share experience with the public on how things would not work out at all, or work out differently than it is now without standards. During the celebration ceremony that were held at Nobleza Hotel, Kgali, Mr. Raymond Murenzi, the Ag. Director General of RSB emphasized the role of standards in facilitating trade nationally and internationally. He also reminded as the global theme states, “Standards Build Trust”; While explaining the theme at national level: “Standards, the Pillar of Food Security”, he recalled that this year’s attention was directed to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), on World Standards Day 14th October, 2016  the focus was put on showcasing benefits from and commitment of companies implementing HACCP as a system which helps identify, evaluate and control hazards which are significant for food safety and prevent adverse health effects (biological, chemical and physical hazards) due to food contamination; and thus he called industries, hotels, restaurants and other stakeholders in the food processing and preparation sector to implement HACCP.


Mr. Raymond Murenzi, Ag. Director General of Rwanda Standards Board Ms. Angelique Karekezi testified that their coffee processing company, RWASHOSCCO famously know for their product (Maraba Coffee), has now been implementing HACCP for two years. She enthused that HACCP certification enabled them to get partners and clients from foreign markets including markets in the United States, Europe, Asia and other parts.

Dr. Emile Bienvenu, the Chairman of RSB Board of Directors and the Guest of Honor at the ceremony reminded participants at the celebration that Rwanda aims to be and is becoming a tourism hub. The upraising of the hospitality sector combined with the country’s economic growth is rooted from implementation of different important standards and more specifically the HACCP standard. He reiterated that food safety is a prerequisite for health and safety, as is the case for other standards. The Guest of Honor commended the Government of Rwanda, stakeholders and partners’ efforts to enable achievements registered, and requested continuous support to safeguard food safety and ensure standardization is grabbed as a culture. Following the celebration more than 32 companies including from cheese processors, yoghurt and meat processors, slaughter houses, bakeries and fresh vegetables and other interested stakeholders were trained on HACCP in a one day work shop.