The Deputy Executive Director of Sierra Leone’s Standards Bureau, Jogor Bah, has announced a new Public and Private Integrated Trade Scheme to tackle substandard goods.

This initiative, supported by donor partners and the government, is in response to recent issues with defective building materials and expired products.

Bah highlighted that the Standards Bureau has set 500 national standards and established laboratories to test food and non-food items for safety, stressing that without proper testing, imported products will not be allowed into the country.

Under President Julius Maada Bio, the Bureau has developed the Consignment Assessment and Conformity Base Program Scheme to enhance laboratory capabilities and ensure the quality of imported goods.

The scheme will launch on June 1, 2025, initially inspecting 20% of imports, aiming for zero tolerance for substandard items.