Duraplast Receives Liberia’s Maiden National Quality Award 2017 For Promoting Quality Production

Monrovia – Liberia’s Minister of Commerce, Professor Wilson Tarpeh has pledged Government’s commitment to ensuring the production of quality products in Liberia.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]

Professor Tarpeh made the assertions through the Deputy Commerce Minister for Trade Services, A. E. Nyema Wisner who served as his proxy at the honoring and certification ceremony of winners and participants of Liberia’s first national quality award.

The National Quality Award (NAQ) was organized in 2017 through the support of the West Africa Quality System Program (WAQSP) with funding from the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Three local production firms including Duraplast Incorporated, Metalum and Fouani Brothers participated in the award with Duraplast emerging as winner.

Minister Tarpeh, on behalf of the government lauded the local industries for their participation and noted that it reflects their commitments to quality production and express hope that the award and certificates will serve as impetus for greater commitment of quality and customers’ satisfaction.

The benefit of the award, he added cannot be over emphasized as it will improve business image and increase market share.

“It is my ardent hope that local businesses and industries will take advantage of this great opportunity of ensuring that products and services are aligned with best management practices in accordance with international standards which will enhance capacity to compete at regional and international levels leading to the expression for market and increased revenue,” he avowed.

Stakeholders including Commerce Ministry officials, winner and participants of the NAQ 2017 post for a group photo at the award ceremony on April 5, 2019 at a local hotel in Monrovia.

About the National Quality Award

The NQA award has been instituted to encourage businesses to adhere to the highest quality standards in their operations to promote their competitiveness in international trade, which has become major constraint on the participation of member states in the West African region in the world trade.

According to organizers, the award is a concrete demonstration of the government’s commitment in ensuring quality production as strong foundation for enhancing trade and consumer protection.

The goal of the Awards, according to organizers, is to promote and review excellence in organizational performance through quality awareness and understanding of the requirements of quality excellence for products and services of local manufacturers, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and businesses.

They added that award serves as an intervention strategy aims at addressing the lack of quality in products and services as one of the major constraints hampering the participation of Liberian companies in regional and international trade. 

It is intended to create awareness on the quality and standardize products and services among Liberian businesses and is been held in line with ECOWAS Commission’s regulation on the creation of ECOWAS Quality Awards and regulation.

They explained that the awards were also presented based on the results of audits conducted with the candidate companies. Within each category, special awards for leadership, product development, resource management, and stakeholder orientation were also presented.

Duraplast, the winner of the maiden “Diamond Excellence Award” is the manufacturer of various kinds of plastic materials including poly tank, PVC, UPVC pipes, fittings all kinds of household products.

Receiving the award and certificate on behalf of the company, the Chairman of Sethi Brothers Incorporated the parent company of Duraplast, Rashp Al Singh, commonly known as Paul, thanked the organizers and expressed hope that the stance taken by NQA and the ECOWAS Commission will go a long way in promoting quality products in Liberia. 

Mr. Singh reaffirmed the company’s commitment to producing quality products and strengthening the private sector by creating jobs.

To a thunderous applause, he announced that a multi-million dollars steel factory constructed by Sethi Brothers will soon open in Monrovia where steels made of scrap materials will be manufactured for local consumption and export.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commerce Minister for Trade Services, A. E. Nyema Wisner, on behalf of Minister Tarpeh, launched the second edition of the National Quality Award 2019.

He asserted that accompanying activities will be implemented in accordance with the planned schedule and call on all local businesses and industries to fully participate in the competition.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, he added is devising strategies to ensure that local businesses and industries that are promoting quality in their business practices and operations are given preferences in government’s contracts.