By Patience Loum
The Gambia Standards Bureau, in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, UNIDO-GEF 6 Project United and ECREEE, organised an inception workshop and technical committee meeting on establishing a testing laboratory for clean cooking, English electric lighting and appliances.
It was held last week at a local hotel.
The Bureau, in its capacity as the National Conformity Assessment Services Provider in the area of testing, inspection and certification is leading the implementation of Component 4 of the UNIDO/GEF 6 Project. This Component involves the establishment of a testing laboratory for Energy-efficient (EE) lighting products and appliances and clean cooking cook stoves.
Papa Secka, director general of Gambia Standards Bureau, said: “It would be recalled that the delivery on the National Quality Infrastructure as an enabler for sustainable growth is featured under the NDP Outcome 8.5. Under this outcome, the Bureau included the establishment of much needed testing facilities in key sectors such as electrical appliances, construction, building materials, and renewable energy.
“The rationale for this is government has a duty, not only to its citizens but also to the wider world, and that the products and services they produce are reliable, safe and environmentally responsible. To achieve this aim, each economy requires an effective domestic technical capability (or access to foreign expertise) to underpin the conformity assessment services in their country.”
Secka said according to various presentations by UNIDO, ECREEE, MOPE, and ASCEG, the wise use of energy is not only helpful to consumers but it also helps government to redirect the surplus energy into other areas.
