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FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1990
ATTITUDES TOWARDS PRODUCT QUALITY CHANGING
ATTITUDES TOWARDS PRODUCT QUALITY ARE
CHANGING, THE DIRECTOR
OF INDUSTRY, MR T.H. BARMA, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
"IN THE PAST, ONLY SCANT ATTENTION WAS PAID TO THE QUALITY OF PRODUCTS, WITH MANUFACTURERS PROVIDING JUST THE MINIMUM TO SATISFY PURCHASERS' REQUIREMENTS," MR BARMA SAID.
"
"HAPPILY, THEIR ATTITUDES ARE NOW CHANGING AS THEY BECOME MORE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT CUSTOMERS ARE MORE DISCERNING AND OFTEN PREPARED TO PAY A LITTLE MORE FOR BETTER QUALITY GOODS, HE TOLD THE INAUGURATION DINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION,
HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT, TOO, WAS ENCOURAGING INDUSTRY то IMPROVE ITS ATTITUDE. THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT HAD LAUNCHED THE LONG-TERM QUALITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN EARLIER THIS MONTH, INITIALLY SPANNING A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD, WITH THE SPECIFIC AIM OF PERSUADING MANUFACTURERS TO INTRODUCE AND PRACTISE QUALITY ASSURANCE.
MR BARMA SAID THERE WAS QUITE A LOT HERE IN HONG KONG TO ASSIST MANUFACTURERS TO ACHIEVE HIGHER QUALITY LEVELS, EVEN BY THE STANDARDS OF THE MORE SOPHISTICATED INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES
"OUR QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOW EQUAL IN CAPABILITY TO THAT OF COUNTRIES OF THE SIZE AND ECONOMIC STATURE OF DENMARK, AND CERTAINLY EQUAL TO THE BEST IN ASIA, OUTSIDE JAPAN," HE SAID.
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY HELD A WIDE RANGE OF PRIMARY PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT STANDARDS.
IN THE FIELD OF DOCUMENTED STANDARDS, THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT'S PRODUCT STANDARDS INFORMATION BUREAU PROVIDED AN INFORMATION SERVICE TO MANUFACTURERS ON OVERSEAS PRODUCT SAFETY, HEALTH AND CERTIFICATION
STANDARDS
REQUIREMENTS,
DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ON OVERSEAS PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS THE ISSUE OF HEALTH AND SAFETY CIRCULARS.
BESIDES THROUGH
MR BARMA SAID, COINCIDING WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE QUALITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, A VOLUNTARY THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION AGENCY HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED TO ENABLE FACTORY QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS TO BE ACCREDITED TO RECOGNISED INTERNATIONAL QUALITY STANDARDS.
LEGISLATION WAS BEING ENACTED THROUGHOUT THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COVERING PRODUCT LIABILITY, HE SAID.
A NUMBER OF SOVEREIGN STATES ALREADY HAD SUCH LAWS ON THEIR
STATUTE BOOKS AND OTHERS WOULD FOLLOW.
MANUFACTURERS COULD OBTAIN INSURANCE TO COVER DAMAGES WHICH MAY ARISE AS A RESULT OF PRODUCT LIABILITY LAW SUITS.
/"HOWEVER, NO