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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1993
HONG KONG MONITORS CLOSELY THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH STANDARDS IN THE ISO AND IEC.
MR FUNG SAID HONG KONG WAS AN EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY AND ITS MAJOR MARKETS HAD BEEN PLACING INCREASING EMPHASIS ON QUALITY AND CONSUMER SAFETY IN RECENT YEARS.
A COMPREHENSIVE, POSITIVE INFORMATION SERVICE ON ALL STANDARDS, REGULATIONS, TESTING, CERTIFICATION AND RELATED TOPICS IN RELEVANT MARKETS AND FOR DOMESTIC USE WAS THUS CRUCIAL TO HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT, HE ADDED.
TO PROMOTE STANDARDISATION AND THE AWARENESS OF QUALITY IN HONG KONG, THE PRODUCT STANDARDS INFORMATION BUREAU OF THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1986 WITH ONE OF THE MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES OF COLLECTING, COLLATING AND DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ON STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS IN HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS MARKETS TO THE INDUSTRY.
THE BUREAU MAINTAINS A LIBRARY WITH ABOUT 80,000 VOLUMES OF NATIONAL STANDARDS OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR MARKETS AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ISSUED BY THE ISO AND IEC.
DIRECT ON-LINE COMPUTER LINKS WITH OVERSEAS STANDARDS INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN SET UP SINCE 1989 IN ORDER TO GAIN MOST UPDATED INFORMATION ON OVERSEAS STANDARDS.
A COMPUTER-ASSISTED INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM HAS ALSO BEEN INSTALLED SINCE 1991.
IN ADDITION, THE BUREAU OPERATES A SALES AGENCY SERVICE THROUGH WHICH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS CAN BE PURCHASED.
IT IS ALSO AUTHORISED TO REPRODUCE AND SELL PHOTOCOPIES OF AUSTRALIAN, BRITISH, EUROPEAN, ISO AND IEC STANDARDS TO FACILITATE USERS OF STANDARDS.
THE SALES AGENCY SERVICE HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE WELL-RECEIVED BY THE TRADE. FOR INSTANCE, THE VOLUME OF SALES HAS INCREASED 10 PER CENT DURING APRIL TO SEPTEMBER 1993 AS AGAINST THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF LAST YEAR.
THE BUREAU ALSO PROVIDES A TECHNICAL ENQUIRY AND ADVICE SERVICE WHICH AIMS AT EXPLAINING THE TECHNICAL CONTENT OF OVERSEAS SPECIFICATIONS AND, WHERE APPROPRIATE, OFFERS SUGGESTIONS ON WAYS ENABLE A PRODUCT TO MEET THE STIPULATED REQUIREMENTS.
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THE SERVICE HAS ALSO BEEN WELL-RECEIVED BY LOCAL MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS WITH THE NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES HANDLED INCREASED FROM IN 1986 TO 1,170 IN 1992.
AND
ΤΟ HELP THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR MAINTAIN ITS COMPETITIVENESS TO FOSTER ITS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT BY BUILDING UP A QUALITY IMAGE INTERNATIONALLY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME то SUPPORT MANUFACTURERS' OWN EFFORTS TO PRODUCTION.
UPGRADE THEIR
/THE PROGRAMME