Businesses urged to streamline operations Dr Eve Gadzikwa
Dr Eve Gadzikwa

Dr Eve Gadzikwa

Bianca Mlilo, Business Reporter
THE Standards Association of Zimbabwe SAZ) says companies should increase business efficiency by streamlining their operations so as to achieve competitiveness in the market.

SAZ director-general Dr Eve Gadzikwa told delegates attending the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) congress in Bulawayo yesterday that confidence building was critical in turning around the economy.

“What we’re trying to do is confidence building. We really need to invest in standards as part of investment attraction,” said Dr Gadzikwa.

“So, SAZ is ready to facilitate the development and use of standards to enhance Zimbabwe’s competitiveness and safeguard the health of communities.”

Dr Gadzikwa, who was recently elected to head the continental standards body, the African Organisation for Standardisation, said standards were a common language that resonates across the world in business circles.

In implementing standards, she said there was a need to reduce costs by minimising waste and lowering costs of regulatory compliance both of which could be done by implementing standards.

Dr Gadzikwa said upholding higher standards dovetails with the ideals of value chains.

She also called for innovation and hard work to unlock the country’s potential.

“In terms of supporting domestic and international trade, standards can also do it for us to facilitate market access and trade, it also gives buyers confidence in our products,” said Dr Gadzikwa.

Other advantages of adhering to standards are that they improve transparency and help companies leap over arbitrary trade barriers.

In line with the promotion of standards, she added, SAZ will later this year hold National Annual Quality Awards, which will recognise companies that uphold quality standards.

The awards would be a platform for businesses to benchmark themselves against others in their fields.

The standards watchdog is set to hold the third edition of its business leaders’ conference on August 17-16, 2016.

The CZI congress is running under the theme “Strengthening Value Chains for Sustainable Industrialisation and Economic Development”.

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