SGS PVoC services align with the digital transformation of Gabon

SGS delivers trusted digital trade solutions for opening Gabon markets. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) December 18, 2024 - SGS, the world’s leading testing, inspection and certification company, highlights innovative digital solutions for pre-export verification of conformity (PVoC) in Gabon and the Programme Gabonais d’Evaluation de la Conformité (PROGEC), for the protection of consumers, fair trade and sustainable economic development.

Under PROGEC, managed by the Directorate General of Industry within the Ministry of Industry, imported goods are required to meet safety, quality and environmental standards before being sold in Gabon. A certificate of conformity (CoC) is mandatory for regulated products, including the following:

• Machines and appliances, electrical, electronic equipment and their parts
• Civil engineering, products from the chemical industry and construction
• Health, medical and surgical instruments and devices, personal care, cosmetics and toys

To support importers and align with ‘Gabon Digital’, a World Bank-funded program aimed at modernizing and streamlining governmental administrative processes, SGS introduced electronic CoCs in 2022. This was done as part of the approved PVoC services that have been provided for Gabon’s National Standard Body, Agence Gabonaise de Normalisation (AGANOR), since 2015.

All requests for CoCs are submitted through the Exporter Portal, a secure web-based platform, and inspections can be made digitally through SGS’s QiiQTM . Simplifying conformity procedures helps to speed up regulated cross-border trade. These systems are fully compliant with ISO/IEC 17020:2012 and align with World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Customs Organization (WCO) requirements.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is currently being implemented, creating a market of over 1.2 billion people and the world’s eighth-largest trading bloc. With discussions already underway with AGANOR on how to strengthen PROGEC, this program will be a key tool for businesses trading in Gabon and beyond, helping them to provide compliant products that can achieve success in the country’s expanding markets.

Further details of SGS’s PVoC services for Gabon are available in the Q4 PCA newsletter.

About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,700 laboratories and business facilities across 119 countries, supported by a team of 99,250 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, safety and compliance.

Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and sustainability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and trusted specialized brands, including Brightsight, Bluesign, Maine Pointe and Nutrasource.

SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH0002497458, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN:SW).

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