Rwanda Standards Board
The Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) is a government agency responsible for standardisation, metrology, and conformity assessment in Rwanda. It was established by the Government of Rwanda under Law N° 50/2013 of 28 June 2013 determining the mission, organisation and functioning of the Rwanda Standards Board.
The RSB was created from its predecessor, the Rwanda Bureau of Standards (RBS), which was originally established under Law N° 03/2002 of 19 January 2002. The restructuring in 2013 separated regulatory enforcement functions, including inspections and legal metrology verifications, into an independent body, allowing RSB to focus on standards development and conformity assessment services.
Mandate
The core responsibilities of the Rwanda Standards Board, as defined by the Government of Rwanda, include:
- Development and publication of national standards
- Product and service quality certification
- Legal, scientific and industrial metrology services
- Implementation of the Made in Rwanda Policy
- Research in standardisation and metrology
- Operation of testing and calibration laboratories
- Dissemination of information on standards and technical regulations
- Representation of Rwanda at regional and international standardisation bodies
As of 2013, RSB had developed and published more than 4,130 national standards covering food and agriculture, engineering, services, water and environment, chemistry, and consumer products.
Metrology
RSB provides legal metrology services in line with ISO/IEC 17025, the international standard for testing and calibration laboratories.
These services include verification of:
- Weighing instruments and weights (class F and M, 1 g to 20 kg)
- Volume measuring instruments (1 L to 5,000 L)
- Fuel dispensing pumps
- Water meters
- Energy meters (single and three-phase)
- Medical measuring instruments (weighing scales, thermometers, blood pressure monitors)
- Traffic speed measuring instruments
- Taxi meters
Rwanda uses the International System of Units (SI) as its official system of measurement.
Regional and international membership
RSB is a full member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
As a member of the East African Community (EAC), RSB participates in the development and adoption of East African Standards (EAS), which harmonise technical regulations across EAC partner states including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. To align with the wider East African region, Rwanda has adopted the EAS 495 standard, which specifies the 13 A BS 1363 (Type G) electrical plug and socket as an official standard, heavily driven by increasing regional trade with Type G-using neighbors like Kenya and Uganda.
See also
- Kenya Bureau of Standards
- East African Community
- International System of Units
- Metrology
- ISO/IEC 17025