Effective July 1, 2021, the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) will start implementation of standards intended to weed out sub-standard solar products from the market.
Mr Andrew Otieno, the manager in charge of standards’ enforcement at UNBS, says most of the solar products on the market are substandard because there have been no regulations.
“We have not been having any solar standards, even at border points we could not stop any solar products from entering the country. That is why we have so many solar substandard products on the market,” says Mr Otieno.
“But we have since developed standards and we will start enforcing these beginning 1st July, and any substandard solar product will be removed from the market by our surveillance teams,” he adds.
However, solar products dealers want the government to come to their rescue and meet their expenses since they spent millions purchasing them.
Mr Jones Asingwire of Asegujo Solar in Mbarara city says the solar dealers are not to blame for the substandard products because its government and its agencies who are reluctant to approve these products from entering the country.
“URA is very active collecting taxes at the border but where is UNBS. Is government interested in taxes at the expenses of the safety of Ugandans by allowing substandard products. Now you are telling us you are going to remove products you allowed us to buy, you should compensate us,” says Mr Asingwire.
Mr Rogers Asaba of Solar Now is afraid that the move will push them out of business.
“We are going to lose a lot of money. How does the government expect us to sell the products we have in two months yet it is the same government that allowed us to stock these products,” he wondered.
Mr Livingstone Kajabangu of Kagadi Technical services in Bunyangabu district says the government should own up its mistakes and compensate solar dealers for any substandard products on market.
In his response, however, Mr Otieno says it will not be possible to compensate solar dealers and insists the standards will have to be maintained for the safety of Ugandans.
“I don’t think you will be compensated but what I have to tell you is that beginning July 1, 2021 is that our surveillance teams will be on ground and all those solar products will be removed from the market. These standards have been made compulsory for the good health and safety of Ugandans,” warned Mr Otieno.
Some of the requirements in the new standards include truth in advertising, health and safety, lumen maintenance (lump brightness) quality and durability, and customer information must be provided.
Mr Benon Benna the grid manager Rural Electrification said substandard solar products on market are set to derail the government vision 2040 on universal access to electricity.
“As we plan grid extension and new connections to realize the country’s vision of Universal access to electricity about 30 percent of the population will rely on solar for electricity but the challenge we have is that the quality of solar systems on the market is very poor which is likely to affect us in our journey to realize this vision of universal access,” said Mr Benna.