MASERU — Lesotho Steel Products (LSP) was on Tuesday named the Southern African Company of the Year in a national quality competition run by the Ministry of Trade.
The Lesotho National Quality Awards competition is aimed at improving product quality and access to international markets for Lesotho products.
The competition also seeks to encourage companies and individuals to pursue quality and excellence in production of goods and in service delivery.
Bochabela Energy Plus and Basotho Canners that contested for the Southern African Service of the Year award were awarded certificates of participation.
But the competition was marred by serious apathy with only three companies submitting entries for the competition.
Hlompho Mpeta, from the Trade Ministry, said despite encouraging local firms to enter the competition only three came forward.
“Unfortunately, we received only three applications. More effort will be put in publicising the awards this year,” he said.
“We hope that this year’s event will be successfully. I particularly invite the media to partner with the ministry and take an active interest in the competition.”
The companies were judged on the basis of their organisational performance in delivering quality services to their clients.
LSP director of construction, Thabo Monaheng, said they were happy to receive the award.
“We definitely believe that we deserve this award as our company has always strived to produce quality in all the projects we have worked on,” Monaheng said.
He said they had never been called to redo any construction work because they always insist on quality.
Bochabela Mohlotsane from Bochabela Energy Plus said even though they did not get the award, they were happy to have taken the initiative to enter the competition.
“Taking part in the competition has given us exposure and we believe that in the next competition we will make it to the top,” Mohlotsane said.
Director of standards and quality assurance, Molebatsi Rabolinyane said they were hosting the awards to motivate organisations to stick to quality business norms.
“This competition is a Sadc initiative to improve product quality and access to international markets,” Rabolinyane said.
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