Liberia Standards Authority Strengthens Commitment to Consumer Protection and Trade
May 29, 2025
By Feeme M. Wantee
Monrovia: The Liberia Standards Authority is stepping up efforts to protect consumers, promote fair trade, and support economic growth through a stronger national quality infrastructure.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) press briefing, LiSA Director-General Hon. Stephen Y. Mambu reaffirmed the agency’s mission to ensure safety, fairness, and accountability in commerce across Liberia.
Mambu highlighted that the Liberia Standards Act validated in 2018 and fully operational since 2024 has firmly established LiSA as the country’s official standards body.
“Under this mandate, the agency oversees critical services including inspection, certification, metrology, and the development of national standards, standardization is not just about regulations it’s about protecting your health, your money, your rights, and your future,” said Mambu.
He noted that LiSA’s work directly supports President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda, which prioritizes effective and citizen-centered government services.
LiSA is actively collaborating with both public and private sector partners including the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), and ECOWAS to help Liberian businesses meet international standards. A key focus is supporting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), advancing environmental protection, and strengthening consumer rights.
Among its top priorities, LiSA is: Expanding product certification and training programs Increasing public awareness of standards and quality assurance Working with procurement agencies to enforce quality in public spending
“We regulate measurements nationwide ensuring that when consumers pay for a gallon of fuel or a pound of meat, they get what they paid for,” Mambu added. Going forward, LISA continues to grow its capacity, it is positioning itself as a driving force for transparency, accountability, and competitiveness in both regional and global trade.
In 2008, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNDO) 2008 as an ECOWAS Member State to participate in the West Africa Quality Program funded by the EU.
In 2010 the WAQP funded the construction of the facility of the National Standards Laboratory which was officially opened by the Government of Liberia on September 9th, 2011, to provide trade facilitated services for enhancing the competitiveness of goods and services at the national, regional, and international levels and to strengthen the SPS regime of Liberia.
The Liberia Standards Authority (LISA), formerly the National Standard Laboratory, is an extension of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) designated as the national conformity body of Liberia.
Its role is to offer services to both private and public sectors in four areas, Product Testing, Metrology (Calibration & Verification), Quality Assurance, and Technical Support Services as such food safety inspection, certification, and training.
Additionally, the LISA coordinates national quality infrastructure activities representing Liberia at various regional and international engagements in the fields of quality infrastructure (QI) and food safety.
