Standards agency proposes 42 new consumer protection standards

The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) is consulting businesses and other stakeholders on 42 proposed compulsory standards that would bring more everyday products under its control. The proposed standards cover chemical and food products, beverages, cigarettes, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), cosmetic creams, lotions and gels for skin care, disposable and reusable sanitary pads, and maize bran. ZCSA Public Relations Officer Onishias Maamba said drafting of the standards is complete. He said the agency had received comments from stakeholders in various sectors of the economy, from both the public and private sectors, and that their input and agreement had shaped the proposals. The Business Regulatory Review Agency (BRRA) has also held talks with ZCSA on how to carry out a Regulatory Impact Assessment of all 42 standards, which looks at what the new rules will cost businesses and the public. Development of the standards is expected to be finished by the end of 2026, with enforcement starting in the second quarter of 2027. How compulsory standards work A compulsory standard sets the minimum quality and safety a product must meet before it can be made, imported or sold in Zambia. ZCSA currently enforces standards on 102 imported and locally made products, including food, beverages, chemicals, household electrical appliances, fertiliser, fuel, cement, used motor vehicles and second-hand clothes. This would be the second big expansion in two years. In 2025, ZCSA made 41 more standards compulsory through Statutory Instrument No. 20 of 2025, covering packaging, fertiliser, fish feed, food products, lubricants, fuels, beverages and building materials. Mr Maamba said that raised the number of products under compulsory standards by 67 percent. Why it matters Many of the products on the new list are ones ordinary households buy every week. Cheap skin creams and lotions, sanitary pads, LPG cylinders and maize bran used for animal feed are all sold widely in markets and