Describes the country's standards landscape, identifies the national standards and accreditation bodies, and lists the main national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies.

Overview

Regional and international organizations’ standards include the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the South African Development Community (SADC), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and African Regional Organization for Standardization (ARSO).

The DRC has lagged behind other countries in applying uniform standards.  The DRC’s standards and conformity assessment regime has been undermined by a lack of updated standards law, resources to enforce standards, and trained personnel.  DRC standards, testing, labeling, and certification requirements have little impact on U.S. exports to the DRC.      

The Ministry of Commerce is responsible for standards and conformity assessments.  The OCC, an ISO member agency, is responsible for developing standards and performing conformity assessments on exports and imports, operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce.  The Ministry of Mines maintains its own standards and certification organization, the Centre d’Expertise, d’Evaluation et de Certification (CEEC), which is charged with the certification of gold and diamonds.

The Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Vegetable Quarantine Service (SQAV) is responsible for the application of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures on animal and plant products in the DRC.  SQAV has a staff comprised of veterinary doctors, agronomic engineers, technical engineers and other experts.  SQAV is one of several public agencies that conduct inspections at national borders, including the OCC, DGDA and the Directorate General of Migration (DGM).

The DRC primarily relies on the “Codex alimentarus” for food items.  The Codex is applied to imports, but not to exports because of lack of adequate equipment in the OCC lab.  In practice, however, most imports are admitted into the country without the need to meet specific standards.  As a result of frequent political interference, the OCC is often unable to fulfill its mission as agricultural watchdog. 
 

Standards

As discussed in the overview, the OCC is the only governmental body in the DRC that is actively developing and enforcing standards and performing conformity assessments on imports and exports, operating under the Ministry of Commerce. It consults with local research institutions and manufacturers, chambers of commerce, and consumer unions, but does not have an annual standards plan.

The OCC executes its technical functions through two branches.  The Metrology Lab is responsible for the development, compilation and publication of standards, and liaising with regional and international measurement and standards organizations, while the Centre de Documentation et d’Information sur Normes (CEDIN), serves as the testing and certification body.  CEDIN performs requisite tests, calibrations and conformity assessments prior to delivering a certificate of conformity, documents the results of its tests and control analyses, and compiles internationally and nationally approved standards.  Its database contains 10,000 standards, including 5,000 from the ISO, 500 from the British Standards Institute (BSI), 100 from COMESA, 60 from SADC.  As of 2010, the DRC has 217 national standards covering such items as wheat flour, cement, wood, steel, sizes/units, and conformity assessments.  The DRC recently adopted a set of 450 additional norms enacted by the COMESA free trade zone to cover fishing, industry, livestock and agricultural and other sectors.  However, a ministerial decree and parliamentary authorization are still required to enforce the norms.
 

Testing, Inspection and Certification

Office Congolais du Controle (OCC)
The Congolese Control Office (OCC), is operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce, and carries out quality, quantity and conformity checks of all goods, analyzes of all samples and products, and technical inspections of all equipment and works. It can manage and operate grain elevators, general stores and customs warehouses. It may also carry out any operation whatsoever relating directly or indirectly to its legal activity, except for buying-in operations for resale.  The OCC is member of the SADC regional Accreditation Association (SADCAS), which is, in turn, accredited by the International Laboratories Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

The OCC is also the national metrology, standardization and certification body responsible for protecting consumers by promoting interaction between consumers and producers in accordance with Congolese legislation.

Post is aware of no independent U.S. testing laboratories in DRC, and none would be authorized to operate in the Congolese market in order to test U.S. products and confirm compliance with domestic regulatory requirements.
 

Publication of Technical Regulations

The OCC sets standards, not regulations, for commercial entities. When a business seeks a specific standard to use in its activity, the OCC requires the payment of a set fee for the issuance of that standard. The OCC also has all quotations for the payment of national and international standards. The National Committee of Standardization, reporting to the Ministry of Commerce, has the authority to propose regulations and standards for export and import goods, to follow-up on their enforcement, and to report all discrepancies for improvement.  The Ministry of Commerce has the prerogative to pass the draft regulation and standards by a ministerial decree.
 

Contact Information

Mme Sondji Bokabo
OCC
Director of Standardization Department
Tel: [+243] 991056330
E-mail: sondjibokabo@yahoo.fr
Mr. Kanama Viki Mbuya
President of the Congolese Association of Laboratories
Tel: [+243] 815082006
 
Mr Kituba Jacques
OCC
Director of Metrology and Control Department
Avenue des Inflamables
Kinshasa, Kingabwa
P.O. Box 8614 Kinshasa 1
Fax: [+243] 818127177
E-mail: jack_kituba@yahoo.fr

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