ZCSA Urges Stronger Collaboration With Manufacturers to Boost Product Safety

The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) has called for increased cooperation between the Agency and local manufacturers to ensure higher levels of product compliance and consumer protection across the country.

ZCSA Executive Director Gerald Chizinga made the appeal on November 17, 2025, when he led a management delegation to Crown Millers Limited in Lusaka as part of the Agency’s ongoing engagement programme with manufacturers of products regulated under compulsory standards.

Mr. Chizinga said ZCSA remains committed to working hand in hand with industry players to enhance product safety, noting that compliance with standards is critical not only for regulatory purposes but also for protecting consumers.

“As Crown Millers, you have a new milling plant and therefore we decided to visit you and assure you of our continued support. Our role, as a regulator, is to enforce mandatory standards, but it is also in your interest to produce safe products,” he said.

He commended Crown Millers for their consistent adherence to compulsory standards, adding that the Agency conducts periodic management visits to understand the realities manufacturers face and to strengthen regulatory engagement.

Crown Millers Limited Managing Director Muhammad Shabbir Patel welcomed the visit and expressed appreciation for the support and services offered by ZCSA.

Mr. Patel emphasized that products such as mealie meal and wheat flour, which are staple foods in many households, must always meet strict safety and quality requirements because they are consumed daily.

ZCSA, a Statutory Body under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, was established under the Compulsory Standards Act No. 3 of 2017. The Agency is mandated to administer, maintain, and enforce compulsory standards aimed at safeguarding public safety and health, protecting consumers, and preserving the environment.

The Agency says it will continue strengthening its partnerships with manufacturers as part of a broader strategy to build a safer, more compliant industrial sector for the benefit of all Zambians.

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