Malawi: Malawians Forced to Buy Inferior Goods Due to Poverty, Standards Bureau Says
Widespread poverty and low disposable incomes are driving many Malawians to buy cheaper, substandard goods, forcing producers to lower product quality to maintain sales, a new study by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has found. The bureau commissioned Ungwiro Consultants to carry out a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices study on quality culture in Malawi, assessing public awareness of standards and perceptions of product quality. Presenting the findings at a validation meeting in Blantyre on Thursday, lead consultant Michael Jana said that although most citizens know of MBS, many remain unclear about its specific mandate and role in enforcing quality assurance.
- ▪Widespread poverty and low disposable incomes are driving many Malawians to buy cheaper, substandard goods, forcing producers to lower product quality to maintain sales, a new study by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has found.
- ▪The bureau commissioned Ungwiro Consultants to carry out a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices study on quality culture in Malawi, assessing public awareness of standards and perceptions of product quality.
- ▪Presenting the findings at a validation meeting in Blantyre on Thursday, lead consultant Michael Jana said that although most citizens know of MBS, many remain unclear about its specific mandate and role in enforcing quality assurance.
AllAfrica files mainly under world. We currently carry 84 of its stories.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Widespread poverty and low disposable incomes are driving many Malawians to buy cheaper, substandard goods, forcing producers to lower product quality to maintain sales, a new study by the Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has found. The bureau commissioned Ungwiro Consultants to carry out a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices study on quality culture in Malawi, assessing public awareness of standards and perceptions of product quality. Presenting the findings at a validation meeting in Blantyre on Thursday, lead consultant Michael Jana said that although most citizens know of MBS, many remain unclear about its specific mandate and role in enforcing quality assurance. He said producers were deliberately lowering standards to match what consumers could afford.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at AllAfrica.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from AllAfrica
