The Sudanese Standards And Metrology Organization: Reconstruction In The War Time

Portsudan (Sudanow) – Since its inception, the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization (SSMO) has written a new chapters of commitment, advocating for enhanced awareness of the importance of social responsibility from 2007 until now, making it part of the community's culture. The organization has also continued to fulfill its role to the fullest after the outbreak of the war in Sudan, emphasizing the protection of Sudanese citizens by controlling spoiled goods, monitoring imported products, and alleviating the wounds of those affected by the ongoing conflict.
To discuss the role of the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization and its management's efforts in rebuilding the country, Sudanow interviewed Engineer El-Tijani Bashir Taha, Director of Planning, Research, and Scientific Centers, who stated: "The Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization is considered a technical regulatory institution by law and institutional structure, with a board of directors that includes almost all regulatory bodies such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Finance, Economic Security, Customs, and the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs. In addition, active companies implement its work at the center and in the states through the Consumer Affairs Committee, in coordination with state governors and local authorities, consumer protection investigations, and the SSMO's presence in all states. All of this has made it a regulatory body that senses potential dangers to the consumer and works to neutralize them through procedures based on conformity assessment and certification for all goods and services, via physical inspection and laboratory analysis as internationally recognized scientific working tools. Therefore, the SSMO's role during this period is an affirmation of its regulatory function."

There are many challenges facing national technical regulatory bodies are diverse. The import, manufacturing, and circulation of goods compliant with standard specifications remain the biggest challenge, ensuring natural flow without scarcity, along with technical compliance. This challenge has motivated the SSMO's senior management and state sector personnel to exert more effort, Engineer El-Tijani added to Sudanow. "Our success has culminated in replacing laboratories and equipment in war-affected states that suffered systematic destruction and damage. The SSMO excelled in this through joint efforts with partners, and the senior management's capabilities were evident in an achievement considered significant in several aspects. This includes, for example, preparing the Gold Export Center and equipping it with the latest devices such as XRF and laser devices with the latest global versions, in addition to accrediting the SSMO laboratories in Port Sudan according to the international standard ISO 17025, affirming the reliability of various analysis results for export and import goods."

"The scientific response and the application of emergency protocols by the SSMO's leadership and specialized cadres at the required time and place, following field visits and travel, further contribute to the SSMO's successes. All of this has been under the gracious and understanding patronage of the highest levels, whether through the Sovereignty Council or the executive branch's top leadership from the Council of Ministers and the acting minister overseeing the SSMO."
"Different goods transported by sea are sometimes damaged, making them non-compliant with specifications and standards and unfit for use. Consequently, they must be returned or permanently destroyed according to signed contracts and the importer's options. Under the great national responsibility of most goods suppliers, the limitation of local consumption remains the significant risk facing goods, especially foodstuffs. This puts the SSMO and its partners before the challenge of storage according to quality standards, a task that requires additional joint effort. Consumer protection is also a joint effort undertaken by the SSMO with other regulatory bodies, notably the Ministry of Health, consumer protection investigations, economic security, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Animal Resources, under the direct supervision of state governors through the Consumer Protection Committee."
Regarding gold equipment, the SSMO works with "all safe states, with training for personnel in these states by a specialized German expert in internal theoretical and practical courses in Sudan."
The Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization has adopted the slogan: "Our Community... Our Responsibility." It is not merely a government body that undertakes technical procedures and controls, nor a strict guardian of law enforcement. Instead, it has transcended this role to become a partner in building a better society. The SSMO has set standards, but it has not stopped there; its reach has extended to every Sudanese home, with one hand monitoring and the other wiping away sorrows, moving forward despite the wounds to lead development.
The participation of SSMO employees has been a living embodiment of its philosophy. It opened a window of hope to serve the people, and the SSMO management's conviction and support for all social responsibility initiatives were clearly evident, demonstrating its true commitment to improving the quality of life. The SSMO and its partners launched various programs and projects in various fields, including the "Daththiruni" project, which provides winter blankets, the "Dawak Li Ghairek" (Your Medicine for Others) project, and the "Saffi Qalbak" (Cleanse Your Heart) project for tolerance and fraternity among employees. The "Sa'at Li Hay'atik" (An Hour for Your Organization) initiative aimed to improve the work environment, qualifying it before the war to receive the highest award from the Presidency of the Republic for excellence in social responsibility.
These efforts intensified and escalated with the outbreak of the war. Under the slogan "Standards Support the Army," the SSMO provided all possible assistance to the armed forces, other regular forces, state governments, and popular bodies. Meanwhile, it stood as a strong barrier at border crossings, monitoring relief materials and imports to ensure their quality.
The SSMO, as the community's mother, embarked on a journey to support displaced people and those affected by the war. SSMO personnel were seen everywhere, providing assistance, sharing provisions, wiping away tears from the eyes of women, the elderly, and children, and following up on people's conditions. The SSMO addresses their needs for food, drink, and spiritual sustenance for the weary soul. It stands with Sudan's children and their hope, alleviating their burdens and securing their future through awareness, knowledge, and a smile on their lips. It celebrates the Sudanese mother, honoring her great role and appreciating her patience, easing her displacement, loss, and pain.
Its hand extended to support education by establishing an exam printing center in Al-Hujeir village and providing classrooms and educational tools in Kassala and Gedarif states to ensure the continuity of education for displaced children. It also formed associations of friends of standards and consumer protection.
The SSMO contributed to promoting public health by providing medical machines and chairs at dialysis centers in the states and strengthening hospital infrastructure by providing technical aids and other medical supplies. It provided significant financial support for critical humanitarian cases and supplied medicines for chronic diseases through the SSMO's permanent support committee. It offered educational materials to enhance mental health awareness and launched, with leading psychologists, the psychological clinics project for those affected by the war.
The SSMO launched a special initiative to support media professionals, creatives, theater artists, sports and art figures, and community leaders, in appreciation of their role in spreading awareness of standards. It emphasized the importance of partnership with the media by offering specialized educational programs. Here, where there is no refuge from the hell of war, hands embrace, and hearts unite. Smiles were given, and wounds were healed through entertaining and guiding theatrical performances in markets and shelters, offering joy, forgetting sorrows, and providing awareness and guidance in preparation for the phase of building and rebuilding the nation, so that standards may be defiance in war and construction in peace.
The SSMO's compassionate hand extended morally and materially to elderly care homes, orphaned children, prisons, and people with special needs. The SSMO developed its partnerships with all ministries and institutions by providing direct support for social care services, bringing benefits and averting harm.
When the treacherous war destroyed all the SSMO's achievements, it rose again with determination and responsibility to continue its noble mission in every corner of the nation, highlighting its pioneering role in society. In times of need, the SSMO opened the doors of "Takaya" (places providing free food/shelter), exemplified by the Standards Watering Project, which provided safe water by drilling boreholes and supplying clean water to shelters and schools in the states.
The Standards Kitchen was a unique model of what it means for institutions to have value and a humanitarian dimension, along with the Standards Food Basket project, providing detergents and other aids to support shelters and those affected by torrents, rains, and floods. In every meal and sip of water offered, it was mixed with the taste of solidarity and participation. These workers, serving in the ranks of the SSMO, are not just employees; they are from you. They united to meet your needs, drawing inspiration from religious and humanitarian values to continue life's journey.
The SSMO's Takayas were not just places for distributing food, nor were humanitarian initiatives launched merely as doors of hope; they transformed into arenas filled with love and giving. In these moments, we do not just record the distribution of food and water; new stories of courage and solidarity are woven. Here, people are rebuilding their lives in a new Sudan, while feeling that they are not alone, for the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization is with them, always and forever, as a support.
Regarding their role during the blessed Eid al-Adha season, Engineer El-Tijani stated: "Every year, the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization customarily launches a national campaign to utilize sacrificial animal skins as a national wealth, in cooperation with relevant authorities. This involves disseminating concentrated information on how to prepare the sacrifice and methods of flaying to benefit from the sacrificial skins. The 17th national awareness campaign will launch in the coming days, following the same previous approach."
The Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council praised the role of the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization and its comprehensive reports on the status of technical work, damage assessment, and the contents of the SSMO tower in Khartoum State, which was destroyed by the rebellious militia.
Ms. Rahba Saeed Abdullah, the Director-General of the SSMO, received the Transitional Sovereignty Council's honor from Mr. Othman Hussein Othman, Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, in the presence of several departmental directors. Upon receiving the commendation and honor, Rahba expressed her immense joy for this recognition of the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization, which has been strongly present on the scene since the beginning of the war until recovery and the good tidings of victory that have emerged and been achieved by God's grace.

MENAFN06072025005684012485ID1109765779