Zimbabwe earmarked for ARSO harmonised automotive standards launch

ZIMBABWE is among six continental countries in which the African Organisation for Standards (ARSO) targets to launch the completed harmonised African automotive standards.

It is hoped that the harmonisation of standards in the automotive industry would accelerate development of the sector through cross border trade if adopted by individual countries under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

In a statement AfreximBank, which has thrown its weight behind the initiative, said 250 standards will need to be harmonised based on the basic components, accessories and replacement parts, which are necessary to keep a vehicle safe and operational.

“ARSO is planning to launch the completed harmonised African Automotive standards by June 2021 in six countries, namely Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

“ARSO had initially targeted 18 basic standards based on the demands of the industry to facilitate the development of the automotive sector on the continent,” said AfreximBank.

Since inception of the project in 2019, ARSO has, with the support of the regional financier, been successful in harmonising 42 international standards.

An initial grant provided by Afreximbank was critical in highlighting the importance of harmonising standards in the automotive sector and opened the way to other partners to come on board.

AfreximBank said a German partner has now agreed to fund the second phase, targeting a further 100 standards with the goal of reaching 250 standards by the end of next year. –chronice.cl.zw