Overview
Angola is not a full member of the International Standards Organization (ISO) but has been a corresponding member since 2002. The Angolan Institute for Quality (IANORQ) within the Ministry of Industry coordinates the country’s development and implementation of technical standards.
Standards
IANORQ is responsible for developing a national quality system to promote productivity, competitiveness, and domestic production capacity. While Angola does not yet have a fully developed national standards regime, the country has a four-year National Normalization Plan (2021-2024). The plan focuses on sectors, which contribute to the country’s GDP and which the government considers strategic for economic development.
Voluntary technical standards are developed by the 17 technical committees that are part of IANORQ. Standards established in Angola fall under the auspices of the Ministry of Industry. To date IANORQ has published 150 technical standards out of its goal of 428 as established in its strategic plan. Angola has adopted or referenced and is considering technical standards from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mozambique, Peru, Portugal, Spain, and the U.S.
The Angolan government through IANORQ has partnered with several international and foreign technical standards organizations to build the country’s technical standards regime. In July 2015, ASTM International signed a memorandum of understanding with IANORQ to contribute to the development of standards in Angola. IANORQ also has cooperation arrangements with ABNT of Brazil, PTB of Germany and INTI of Argentina. It is a corresponding member of ISO and is affiliated with International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Legal Metrology (OIML).
Testing, Inspection and Certification
Conformity Assessment
The conformity assessment system is managed by two separate public entities, which fall under the supervision of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The Angolan Institute of Standardization and Quality (IANORQ) is responsible for certification and the Angolan Institute of Accreditation (IAAC) is responsible for accreditation.
Angola is also an affiliate country of the International Electro-technical Commission that publishes consensus-based International Standards and manages conformity assessment systems for electric and electronic products, systems and services.
Product Certification
The certification system is managed by IANORQ, which is responsible for coordinating national standardization activities and overseeing legal metrology in Angola.
Given the strong presence in Angola of products distributed through Portugal, ISO and CE markings are commonly found on products sold in Angola. While these standards are not required to be met in Angola, they give consumers a sense of confidence in product quality.
Angola is a member country of WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius International Food Standards and uses these standards to enforce food safety.
Accreditation
Currently, accreditation is not mandatory in Angola. However, in 2015 the Angolan government through the Ministry of Industry established the Angolan Institute of Accreditation (IAAC), which will be the entity responsible for accreditation in the future. At this time accreditation can be done by foreign entities. The IAAC currently serves as a point of contact for Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS).
SADCAS is a multi-economy accreditation body established in the terms of Article 15 B of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Annex to the SADC Protocol on Trade with the primary purpose of ensuring that conformity assessment service providers (calibration/testing/medical laboratories, certification and inspection bodies) operating in those SADC Member States, which do not have national accreditation bodies are subject to oversight by an authoritative body.
Publication of Technical Regulation.
Final government regulations are published in the Angolan Daily Gazette (Diário da República). There is no established mechanism whereby U.S. entities or other international entities can comment on proposed regulations before these are finalized.
Use ePing to review proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures
The ePing SPS&TBT platform (https://epingalert.org/), or “ePing”, provides access to notifications made by WTO Members under the Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), distributed by the WTO from January 16, 1995 to present. ePing is available to all stakeholders free of charge and does not require registration unless the user wishes to receive customized e-mail alerts. Use it to browse notifications on past as well as new draft and updated product regulations, food safety and animal and plant health standards and regulations, find information on trade concerns discussed in the WTO SPS and TBT Committees, locate information on SPS/TBT Enquiry Points and notification authorities, and to follow and review current and past notifications concerning regulatory actions on products, packaging, labeling, food safety and animal and plant health measures in markets of interest.
Notify U.S., operated and maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) since 2003 to distribute and provide access to notifications (and associated draft texts) made under the WTO TBT Agreement for US stakeholders, has reached its end of life. Per obligation under the TBT Agreement, each WTO Member operates a national TBT (and an SPS) Enquiry Point. National TBT Enquiry Points are authorized to accept comments and official communications from other national TBT Enquiry Points, which are NOT part of the WTO or the WTO Secretariat. All comment submissions from U.S. stakeholders, including businesses, trade associations, U.S domiciled standards development organizations and conformity assessment bodies, consumers, or U.S. government agencies on notifications to the WTO TBT Committee should be sent directly to the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point. Refer to the comment guidance at https://tsapps.nist.gov/notifyus/data/guidance/guidance.cfm for further information.
Contact Information
Angolan Institute of Standardization and Quality (IANORQ)
Ministry of Industry and Trade
Rua Cerqueira Lukoki 25, C.P. 594
Luanda, Angola
Phone: +244 (222) 337 294
Fax: +244 (222) 392 400
Angolan Institute of Accreditation (IAAC)
Ministry of Industry and Trade
Rua Cerqueira Lukoki 25, C.P. 594
Luanda, Angola
Phone: +244 926 756 374
Email: geral@iaac.co.ao
Website: https://desenvolvidopelaangoweb.com/iaac/