The Lesotho Standards Institution (LSI) in association with the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) is currently holding a two-day awareness raising session in Maseru from Tuesday.

While opening this session on behalf of the Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Business Development Mr. Molebatsi Rabolinyane said the ministry of trade is mandated to facilitate and foster business growth in the country therefore this session comes in as an opportunity extended to the business sectors of agriculture, textile and leather as a trajectory and a platform for entry into the African wide market.

He stated that the cornerstone of accessing the broad African market is through building a robust quality infrastructure that is responsive to the needs and context of continental Africa and is recognised by its peers worldwide.

On the other hand, the Secretary General of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) Dr.Hermogene Nsengimana said with the recent tariff wars that seem to be facing many African countries, it is high time the African continent considers inter-Africa trade.

He indicated that with the potential on production that the African continent has, there is a possibility of acquiring international markets as long the products are well standardised to meet the requirements of international markets.

Meanwhile, one of the participants in this session Mr. Masopha Moshoeshoe said this event is going to play a pivotal role in equipping them with the necessary skills that will help them produce products of high quality that meet the international standards.

(ARSO) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1977 by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU, now the African Union) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) to harmonize standards and technical regulations across Africa.  It plays a crucial role in promoting the adoption of African standards as a basis for national regulations, preventing technical barriers to intra-African and international trade.