National Technical Regulation Act, 2017 (No. 5 of 2017).

This Act provides for a technical regulation framework, i.e. technical requirements, the conformity assessment system, regulatory authority mandates and sanctions are applied in the development and implementation of technical regulation. “Technical regulation” means a document which lays down commodity or service characteristics or their related processes and production methods, including administrative provisions, with which compliance is mandatory, and includes terminology, symbols, packaging, marking or labelling requirements as they apply to a commodity or service or their related processes.
The Act establishes the Department for Technical Regulation and defines its functions and powers. A technical regulation shall be developed, implemented and maintained in accordance with specified principles. It shall, among other things, be developed and implemented where it is necessary for the protection of human health or safety, animal or plant life or health, the prevention of deceptive practices and environmental protection, and shall comply with the requirements of international and regional agreements to which Zambia is a party. The relevant Minister may, where there is a threat to the environment or human and animal life and health, in consultation with Cabinet, by statutory instrument, adopt and publish a technical regulation intended to deal with the threat, without following the procedure specified in this Act. A commodity and service falling under a technical regulation shall be placed on the market if the commodity and service — (a) does not endanger public safety or health or plant or animal life or health; (b) does not give rise to consumer exploitation; (c) does not have adverse effects on the environment when undertaken, installed and maintained; and (d) is used for the purpose for which it is intended.
Where a formal assurance of conformity with a technical regulation is required, a regulatory agency shall, where practicable — (a)formulate and adopt conformity assessment schemes based on international best practice; and (b) ensure that the conformity assessment services are provided in the most cost effective way. A regulatory agency shall maintain a database of designated conformity assessment service providers. A supplier shall provide proof of compliance with a conformity assessment scheme.