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STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS  
2020 No ....  
 
The Uganda National Bureau of Standards ( Certification ) 
Regulations, 2020  
 
(Under section 43 of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards Act, Cap 
327) 
IN EXERCISE    of the powers conferred upon the Minister responsible    for 
commerce by  section 43 of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards Act, and 
on the recommendation of  the National Standards Council, these  Regulations 
are made this ………… …... day of …………………….  2020  
1.  Title.  
These Regulations may  be cited as the Ugan da National Bureau of  Standards 
(Certification ) Regulations, 2020.  
 
2.   Interpretation.  
In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires - 
"Act" means the Uganda National Bureau of Standards Act, Cap 327;  
“authoris ed officer” means a person who has been appointed by the  Council or 
the Executive Director, with the approval of the Council , for the efficient 
performance of the functions of the Bureau under this Act”  
"applicant ” means  a client applying for a permit to use the distinctive mark or 
standards mark ; 
“audit” means systematic, independent and documented process  for obtaining 
objective evidence  and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which 
the audit criteria  are fulfilled .  
 
“auditor” means person who conducts an audit  Page 2 of 12 
 “technical expert” person who provides specific knowledge or expertise to the 
audit team  
"Bureau” means the Uganda National Bureau of Standards established under 
section 2 of the Act;  
“certification” means a system that has its own rules of procedure and 
management for carrying out certification of conformity;  
“conformity ” means fulfilment of specified requirements ; 
"commodity ” means  any article, product or thing which is or will ultimately be 
the subject of trade or use;  
"compulsory standard  specification ” means  the standard specification declared  
under Section 18  of the Act;  
"currency point " has the value assigned to it in Schedule 1;  
"director ” means  the director of  the Bureau appointed under Section 11    of the 
Act;  
“manufacture” means to make, produce , process, treat, assemble, alter, modify, 
adapt, convert, process or treat;  
"manufacturer"    means   any   natural   or legal   person   engaged in making, 
production, processing, treatment, assembling, altering, modifying, adapting, 
converting or any ot her operation in relation to commodities subject to standard 
specifications;  
“non conformity” means the non -fulfilment of specified requirements;  
“standard ” means a document, established by consensus and approved by a 
body that provides, for common and r epeated use, rules, guidelines or 
characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the 
optimum degree of order in a given context  and which is based on the 
consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at  the 
promotion of optimum community benefits;  
"surveillance audits " means periodic evaluation of  a quality control system or 
commodity of  a permit holder to determine conformity with  a relevant standard 
and the terms and conditions of the permit.  
“testing laboratory ” means a laboratory which measures, examines, calibrates or 
otherwise determines the characteristics or performance of materials or 
products;  Page 3 of 12 
 “Certification requirements” means specified requirement, including product 
requirements, that are fulf illed by the applicant  as a condition of establishing or 
maintaining certification;  
“Product requirement” means a requirement that relate directly to a product, 
specified in standards or in other normative documents identified by the 
certification scheme.  
“Certification scheme” means certification system related to specified products, 
to which the same specified requirements, specific rules and procedures apply.  
 
CERTIFICATION PROCESS  
Application for a permit  
A person who intends to manufacture any commodity in respect of which a 
standard specification is declared under Section 15 of the Act shall apply to the 
Council or person acting under the authority of the council for a permit  to use 
the standards mark as declared under Section 16 or the distinctive mark as 
declared under Section 18 of the Act.    
An application for a permit shall be in a manner determined by the Council or 
person acting under the authority of the council  for grant, renewal or extension 
of certification scope . The applicant shall comply with the terms and conditions 
of the certificatio n scheme as stated in the certification agreement.  
The application shall be made separately for each product  covered by a particular 
standard and for each manufacturing  facility /site. For a company with several 
commodities differentiated by type, trademark/ brand s, variants and any other 
characteristics for which certification is being sought shall be specified in the 
application.  
The application shall be accompanied with appropriate information regarding 
the legal status of the applicant.  
An auth orised officer may, in writing, return to the applicant the application 
submitted requesting the applicant to carry out such alterations in, or additions 
to, the information provided .  
Once the application for permit to use a  standards mark and  distinctive mark is 
accepted, the applicant shall be required to pay the fees specified in Schedule 2. 
An application  for permit  shall be valid for the  period  as determined under the 
certification scheme defined by the Bureau  beyond which , if a permit has  not 
been granted, a new application shall have to be submitted.  Page 4 of 12 
 Audit  
The audit process shall be proceed in a manner prescribed by the Bureau.  
The applicant shall allow unhindered access at all reasonable times by the 
auditor(s) or authorised officer(s)  of the Bureau to the manufacturing facility of 
the product(s) specified in the application, including access to relevant 
documentation related to production and quality and quantities of products to 
be certified  in order to carry out duties unde r the Act and this regulation .  
The auditor (s) or authorised officer (s) shall evaluate the product and 
manufacturing facility to ascertain  conformity of the production, quality 
assurance proce sses and commodities conform to the product requirements and 
certification requirements .  
The evaluation may include results of previous audits conducted for purposes 
such as systems certification and product certificat ion in case of scope extension 
and renewal of permit.  
The auditor (s) or authorised officer (s) shall make a detailed report  of the findings  
in the prescribed format to the Director and applicant for the audit conducted .    
 
Product Sampling and Sample testing  
Where samples are required for product evaluation , the applicant shall provide 
all reasonable facilities and assistance to the auditor (s) or authorised officer(s)  
to draw and get samples of the commodity .  
Where during the audit , an auditor wishes to take any samples of any product 
or material , they shall do so in the pr esence of the applicant, o r a person 
authorise d by the applicant.   
The cost of obtaining, transporting  and testing of sample s or any other expense 
incurred in connection with the product evaluation  shall be borne by the 
applicant.   
Product testing shall be undertaken by the Bureau or in such other testing 
laboratory recognised or designated in writing by the Bureau as a testing 
laboratory.   
Product  sampling , assessment  and/or testing  may be done at the applicant’s 
manufacturing facility, war ehouse or storage, market or other location where the 
sample  is available . 
Where UNBS has no capacity for testing, the samples may be tested at the 
manufacturer’s facility using the manufacturer’s testing equipment by or under Page 5 of 12 
 the supervision of a UNBS ana lyst. The testing shall be carried using calibrated 
equipment and the relevant standard test methods for the product.  
The sampling, assessment and/or testing may be carried out by an auditor or 
authorised personnel using field testing equipment, in the pr esence of the 
applicant, o r a person authorise d by the applicant.  
The requirements against which the products of an applicant are evaluated shall 
be those contained in the specified standards and other normative documents 
as determined by the Bureau.  
The results of product testing shall be communicated to the applicant .  
Certification Review and Decision to Grant the permit  
The Council or person acting under the authority of the Council, shall make a 
decision to grant certification if there is suffici ent evidence of conformity, or a 
decision not to grant certification if there is insufficient evidence of conformity.  
The decision of the Bureau to grant a permit to the applicant to use the standards 
mark or distinctive mark  shall be based on:  
 an audit report with evidence of conformity to the applicable product 
requirements and scheme requirements ;   
 a test report or a series of test reports indicating that the product meets 
the requirements of the relevant standard(s) and  
 a recommendation by a person (s) different from those that conducted the 
audit  of the applicant’s facility  and/or product testing.  
Issuance of the Permit  
The permit to use the standards mark or dist inctive mark shall be issued for 
each brand of any product for which certification is a pplied for and granted.  
The applicant shall pay the applicable fees specified in schedule 2 before the 
permit is issued.  
The issued permit shall include information on at least the following:  
 name and address of the Bureau  
 the date certification is granted  
 the name and address of the applicant   
 the scope of certification  
 the term or expiry date of certification  
 unique identification of the permit   
The permit shall be valid for a period of twelve months from the date on whi ch it 
is issued.   Page 6 of 12 
  
Terms for use of the permit  
(1) A manufacturer or permit holder shall be bound by the following ter ms and 
conditions of the permit.  
(a) ensure that the commodity in respect of which a permit has   been   granted   
conforms   to the  standard specification and for this purpose shall establish and 
maintain to the satisfaction of the Bureau a system of control, including 
inspection and testing;  
(b) in ca se of suspension, withdrawal or cancellation of a permit discontinu e    its 
use and i mmediately withdraw all promotional and advertising materia l   
containing   any reference  to that permit  and the standards mark or distinctive 
mark . 
(2) A manufacturer shall in addition to the terms for the use of  a permit in sub -
regulation (1)  
(a) ensure that any record maintained in relation to the manufacturing process 
is made available for assessment and review  by an auditor (s) or authorised 
officer(s)  and shall, at the request of the auditor  or authorised person , allow the 
removal of the record to the premises of the Bureau for further scrutiny;  
(b) allow an auditor (s) or authorised officer(s)  access to the premises where the 
commodity specified in the permit is manufactured  or held  for the purpose of 
evaluating materials, production processes, finishe d commodities, quality 
assurance facilities and records;  
(c) ensure that any record maintained in relation to the manufacturing process 
for the purpose of evaluating materials, production processes, finished 
commodities, quality assurance facilities and re cords is readily available;  
(3) The permit is non -transferable :  
(a) In the case of transfer of plant site, the manufacturer shall give notice of the 
transfer to the Bureau, at least 21 w orking days before the transfer  and apply 
for a new permit.  
(b) where   there   h as   been   any   modification in the commodity  or 
manufacturing process, reapply for a permit.  
(c) changes in legal status of the company including names and ownership of the 
company   
(4) The Council or person acting under the authority  of the council may, at any 
time, vary the conditions of a permit granted under these Regulations.   Page 7 of 12 
 (5) Failure to comply with any of the terms and conditions in sub -regulation (1) 
and (2) of this regulation is sufficient ground for commencing the procedur e for 
suspension, withdrawal or cancellation of the permit by the Council or person 
acting under the authority of the council.  
(6) The permit holder shall be responsible for the quality and safety of the product 
and liable for any damage or injury arising from normal use of the product.  
Refusal to grant permit   
(1) The Council or a person acting under the authority of the Council may refuse 
to issue a permit where - 
(a) the commodity in respect of which an application has been made does not 
conform to the standard specification,  
(b) the commodity in respect of which an application has been made has been 
banned by the Minister under Section 24C of the Act,  
(c) the commodity in respect of which an appli cation has been made is expired;  
(d) any other requireme nt under these Regulations has not been complied with.  
(2) The Council or a person act ing under the authority of the C ouncil , shall state 
the reasons for refusal in writing and notify the applicant of the refusal within 
15 working days after making the dec ision.   
 
Surveillance audits  
The grant of permit to a manufacturer shall be followed by surveillance audits  
and/or product sampling and testing  conducted at the manufacturing facility 
warehouse or storage, market or other location where the sample is available .  
The frequency and extent of audits shall be determined by the Bureau.  
The surveillance audits may be conducted without notice to the per mit holder to 
ensure that the systems and procedures already evaluated  are being maintained.  
The permit holder shall allow unhindered access of the  auditor(s) and/or  
authorised officer (s) of the Bureau to the manufacturing facility of the certified 
product (s), including access to relevant documentation related to production and 
quality and quantities of certified products.  
Surveillance audits may be conducted where there are complaints, major 
changes to the product, production process, or key personnel in the organisation 
to assess the impact of such changes on the quality and safety of the products.    
 Page 8 of 12 
 Renewal of permit   
 A permit holder  shall apply to the C ouncil or a person acting und er the authority 
of the Council for the renewal of permit at least three months before the expiry 
of the permit.   
The permit renewal process shall be carried in the manner prescribed by the 
Bureau.  
Register of certified products  
The Bureau shall maintain  and publish a n up to date  register of certified 
products and manufacturers to whom a permit has been issued.  
The register of certified products shall contain at least the following:  
 identification of the product  
 the standard to which conformity has b een certified  
 identification of the applicant   
 permit expiry date  
Where a permit has been renewed, suspended, withdrawn or cancelled, the 
Register shall be accordingly updated.  
Application of the standards and distinctive mark  
The mark shall only be applied on products with a valid permit.  
The mark shall not be applied on products manufactured in a facility other than 
that whose address is specified in permit.  
13. WITHDRAWAL, SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION OF PERMIT    
(1) The Council may, at any time, withdraw, suspend or revoke a permit for such 
period if it is satisfied that -  
(a) the commodity  marked with the permit does not conform to the standard 
specifications;  
(b) the permit holder has used the permit in respect of a comm odity which doesn’t 
conform with the standard;  
(c) the permit holder has failed to provide reasonable facilities to the auditor  or 
authorised person(s) to discharge the duties under these Regulations;  
(d)  the certified applicant  does not comply with the c onditions of the permit;  
(e) Customer complaints related to product conform ity and misuse of 
certification such as misrepresentation of the product and deceptive 
advertisement  Page 9 of 12 
 (f) the Council establishes that the manufacturer obtained the permit through 
an improper manner such as bribery or fraud.  
(g) the permit holder has been convicted of an offence under the Act or these 
regulations   
(h) has contravened any of the provisions of these r egulations.  
(2) Before a decision to withdraw, suspend or revoke a permit is taken, the 
Council shall serve the permit holder with a written notice of fourteen days 
stating the grounds to the intended action. The permit shall be given an 
opportunity to provide written exp lanation with fourteen days.  
(3) Where the explanation is submitted by the permit holder, the Council shall 
consider the explanation and if the permit holder so wishes give him an 
opportunity to be heard as soon as possible.   
(4) where no explanation is submitted by the permit holder, or in the opinion of 
the Council the explanation submitted is unsatisfactory, the Council  may, on 
the expiry of the notice, withdraw, suspend or revoke the permit.   
(5) If in the opinion of the Counc il, the explanation submitted is satisfactory, the 
Council  shall not withdraw, suspend or revoke the permit.   
(6) where the Council withdraws, suspends, or revokes a permit under sub -
regulation 4 of this regulation, it shall immediately, in writing, inform  the permit 
holder of the withdrawal, suspension or revocation.  
(7) where a permit has been withdrawn, suspended or revoked or has not been 
renewed on the expiry of the period of its validity, the permit holder shall 
immediately discontinue the use of the permit.  
(8) Suspension and/or withdrawal of a permit shall be lifted when the permit 
holder has fulfilled all the conditions for which the suspension/withdrawal was 
made.  
(9) a person who contravenes the provisions of sub regulation (1) shall be guilty 
of an offence and is liable on conviction  to any of the penalties prescribed under 
the Act.  
14. Cancellation of permit   
The Council or person acting under the authority of the council may cancel or 
terminate a permit by request of the applicant , where  - 
(a) the production  of the commodity  has been terminated  by the manufacturer 
or any lawful authority;  
(b) the manufacturer applies to cancel the permit;  Page 10 of 12 
  
PART  xxx - MISCELLANEOUS  
15. APPEALS.  
(1) A person aggrieved by- 
(a) the refusal to issue a permit  
(b) Conditions to a permit;  
(c) the withdrawal, suspension, revocation or cancellation of a permit or 
authorization ; or 
(d) the variation of any conditions on a permit or authorization , 
may within fourteen days of his or her being informed of that action, appeal in 
writing to the Minister through the Director.  
(2) The   Director   shall within    fourteen   days forward the appeal    to the  
Minister with such comments as he or she may think fit.  
 
16. REPEAL  
These regulations repeal the THE UGANDA NATIONAL BUREAU OF 
STANDARDS ( CERTIFICATION ) REGULATIONS, 1995 . 
 
  Page 11 of 12 
  
SCHEDULE 1  
 
STANDARDS MARK / DISTINCTIVE MARK   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
Page 12 of 12 
 SCHEDULE 2 – Certification Fees  
 Type of Fee  Category of Enterprises  Amount 
(UGX)  Fees billed  
 
 
1. 
 
  
Certification Fees  
 Micro & Small Enterprises  500,000   
 
Per permit issued to a 
commodity / product 
and per brand  Medium & Large 
Enterprises  1,000,000  
Enterprises manufacturing 
Bottled Water, Alcoholic 
Beverages  (excluding wine)  
& Carbonated & Non -
Carbonated  Soft Drinks  1,000,000  
 
2. Laboratory 
Testing Fees  For 2 samples, that is,  the 
initial / renewal audit 
sample and the surveillance 
sample  As billed 
by UNBS 
lab or 
UNBS 
recognized 
laboratory  Per product / commodity 
sample to be tested  
 
The fees above are exclusive  of calibration and pre -package verification costs, and such 
other incidental costs that may be associated with the certification process.