Commerce ministry schools MPs on trade and competition laws

Mbabane – Members of Parliament serving on the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade’s Portfolio Committee gathered for a workshop this week to deepen their understanding of two key institutions shaping Eswatini’s economic landscape.

Eswatini Standards Authority (ESWASA) and the Eswatini Competition Commission (ESCC) jointly hosted the session alongside the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, with presentations covering each institution’s mandate, ongoing projects and economic role.

ESWASA Executive Director Ncamiso Mhlanga told the MPs that the authority’s work goes well beyond developing standards.

“Its mandate extends beyond developing standards. It is responsible for promoting quality infrastructure, conducting conformity assessments, facilitating certification, and ensuring that products and services available in our markets meet recognised standards of safety, quality, reliability, and performance,” Mhlanga said.

Mhlanga also briefed the committee on several projects currently underway, including the revival of the Scales and Metrology Services Lab and the Ingelo Certification Scheme. The scheme was launched by the Ministry of Commerce and is being implemented by ESWASA in partnership with SEDCO, with the aim of supporting micro, small and medium enterprises in producing safe, quality and standards-compliant products for both local and regional markets.

He called on the MPs to support ESWASA’s push to develop laboratories that would test products against international standards, arguing that doing so would strengthen quality control, build investor confidence and create jobs.

ESCC Chief Executive Officer Siboniselizulu Simelane Maseko presented the Commission’s mandate, explaining that it plays a central role in preserving market integrity, protecting consumers, encouraging investor confidence and promoting economic progress. She told the MPs that the Commission monitors mergers and acquisitions, controls anti-competitive trade practices and defends consumer rights.

Simelane Maseko also outlined the Commission’s economic impact, detailing how its regulation of mergers and acquisitions and its investigations support job creation, innovation and business protection for emaSwati.