SOBS validates five-year strategic plan with stakeholders
A reliable quality system connects standards with testing, measurement and certification. These systems help protect consumers and give producers a clearer route to meeting market requirements.
The Somali Bureau of Standards (SOBS), supported by HoA DRIVE Somalia, brought together government officials and private sector leaders in Mogadishu to review and validate its draft Strategic Plan for 2026–2030. The consultative workshop marks an essential step in finalizing a unified national strategy for quality assurance.
A five-year strategy
The 2026–2030 roadmap outlines targeted measures to strengthen Somalia’s national quality infrastructure, specifically focusing on product testing, accurate metrology, calibration, and certification services. To maximize economic impact, the plan gives priority to key productive sectors—namely livestock, fisheries, and agriculture. It also sets out a clear framework for adopting more regional and international standards while encouraging active input from local businesses.
Enhancing trade credibility and consumer protection
Standards depend on robust verification systems. To ensure local producers can reliably demonstrate compliance, the draft strategy includes concrete steps to upgrade testing and calibration laboratories, streamline product certification, and make port inspections more effective. Additionally, the plan calls for closer operational coordination among agencies responsible for checking products across domestic markets.
For Somali businesses, these upgraded services offer clear regulatory requirements and credible evidence of product quality, facilitating access to new export markets. Concurrently, rigorous verification checks will help safeguard domestic consumers against unsafe and substandard goods, giving SOBS a clear guide to drive its work forward over the next five years.
