Govt investigating circumstances surrounding Malawian ban on Zambian hydrated lime —Mulenga

Government has taken interest in the recent development in which the Malawi Bureau of Standards had rejected and banned further importation of Ndola Hydrated Lime for not meeting that country’s standards.

The Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) had conducted laboratory tests on the hydrated lime, rejected and banned further importation of the product.

Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Chipoka Mulenga, said this in a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday.

Mulenga said government was made aware of this development through digital media and that unfortunately its Malawian counterparts did not engage Zambia authorities directly or through diplomatic channels.

He said government was assessing the evidence and would soon conduct further tests to establish the validity of the findings of the Malawian Bureau of Standards.

“This will assist the Ministry to determine whether the concerns raised by the Bureau are genuine or it’s a measure that maybe construed as a technical barrier to trade,” Mulenga said.

He said once these investigations have been completed, the Ministry would issue a comprehensive statement on the findings and outline the necessary actions to be taken.

Mulenga called on the public to be patient and exercise caution until the investigations are completed.

“The Ministry remains committed to ensuring that all products on the Zambian market meet the required standards and adhere to the highest safety protocols, locally, regionally and internationally,” he said.

Mulenga said government would continue to work closely with the Malawi Bureau of Standards and the National Quality Infrastructure Institutions to address this issue comprehensively and transparently.

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