New requirement for market access in Guinea-Bissau

 The Republic of Guinea-Bissau is a relatively small country at the Westcoast of Africa with a population about 2 mill. It is bordered by Senegal to the north and Guinea to the southeast.
The national authority for IT and communication is ARN (Autoridade Regladora Nacional das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação), which amongst other is the body for approving ICT products that are to be marketed in Guinea-Bissau, based on compliance with applicable standards.
ARN has now issued a new regulation which directly impacts all types of approval applications for ICT equipment and is effective immediately. It is enacted by the ARN’s Chairman Dr. Cheikh Amadu Bamba Kot, is based on the national Law No. 5/2010 and aims to enhance market oversight, consumer protection, and national security. 

The new regulation mandates the appointment of a local representative for all entities seeking to market or use ICT equipment within Guinea-Bissau.
Any company applying for type approval must appoint an official local representative physically residing in-country. 
The representative can be an individual or a legal entity, but must:
        o    Be resident or headquartered in Guinea-Bissau.
         o    Possess a valid Guinean Tax Identification Number (NIF).
        o    Provide a notarized power of attorney or representation agreement.
The appointed representative will be legally responsible for:
        o    Acting as the sole point of contact for ARN.
        o    Handling all information requests, testing, and inspections.
        o    Managing product warranty, technical support, and any potential recalls.

For pending applications, one has 60 days from 4th August this year to comply. Failure to appoint a representative will result in the closure of the application.
As the transitional period for compliance is already in effect, one must act quickly to ensure that the pending 
applications are not rejected and thus hindering market access for one’s products.

For further information and/or assistance with certification for Guinea-Bissau or other African countries, please contact Geremy.Bradshaw@nemko.com

(This article is based primarily on info provided by Chamagne Consulting; edited by T.Sollie)