XN000022-1980-05-05 — Page 2

MONDAY, MAY 5, 1980

GOVERNMENT ACCEPTS STANDARDS TESTING PROPOSALS

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RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION CONCERNING QUALITY CERTIFICATION, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PRIMARY STANDARDS LABORATORY AND A SYSTEM FOR THE ACCREDITATION AND SUPERVISION OF SECONDARY LEVEL CALIBRATION LABORATORIES HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT.

THIS WAS REVEALED TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE, INDUSTRY AND CUSTOMS, MR BILL DORWARD WHEN HE OPENED THE 7TH MEETING OF THE PACIFIC AREA STANDARDS CONGRESS HOSTED BY THE HONG KONG STANDARDS AND TESTING CENTRE.

MR DORWARD POINTED OUT TO THE DELEGATES THAT IN ITS REPORT, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE NOTED THAT HONG KONG PRODUCTS WERE INCREASINGLY SUBJECT TO OVERSEAS REQUIREMENTS TO MEET CERTAIN SPECIFICATIONS IN RESPECT OF STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY, AND CONSUMER SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

+IT CONCLUDED THAT HONG KONG'S EFFORTS TO MOVE UP-MARKET MIGHT BE INHIBITED BY THE LACK OF TECHNICAL BACK-UP SERVICES FOR MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AS A WHOLE.

+SUCH SERVICES WOULD INCLUDE THE TESTING OF MATERIALS, COMPONENTS AND PRODUCTS, THE QUALITY CERTIFICATION OF FINISHED PRODUCTS AND THE CALIBRATION OF MEASURING INSTRUMENTS AND SYSTEMS, HE SAID.

THE COMMITTEE HAD RECOMMENDED THAT A PRIMARY STANDARDS LABORATORY SHOULD AIM TO ESTABLISH COMPARABILITY OF HONG KONG PRIMARY STANDARDS WITH THOSE ESTABLISHED ELSEWHERE, AND TO DEVELOP A SYSTEM FOR THE ACCREDITATION AND SUPERVISION OF SECONDARY LEVEL CALIBRATION LABORATORIES.

COMMENTING ON THIS RECOMMENDATION, MR DORWARD SAID WE STILL HAD A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT AS A FIRST STEP, IT IS OUR INTENTION SHORTLY TO ESTABLISH AN ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC CALIBRATION LABORATORY TO PROVIDE A SERVICE OF ACCEPTABLE STANDARDS TO BOTH

INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT.+

+ IN HONG KONG THERE HAS BEEN RELATIVELY LITTLE GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF STANDARDS, EXCEPT IN THOSE AREAS SUCH AS FOOD AND DRUGS WHERE HEALTH AND SAFETY REASONS JUSTIFY SUCH INVOLVEMENT, HE SAID.

THE REPORT ALSO RECOMMENDED TO THE GOVERNMENT THE BUILDING OF AN IMPROVED AND A MORE CLEARLY INDEPENDENT RANGE OF QULAITY CERTIFICATION SERVICES THAN PRESENTLY EXIST.

IN SO DOING, IT RECOGNISED THE FOUNDATION ALREADY SUPPLIED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR, PARTICULARLY THE HONG KONG STANDARDS AND TESTING CENTRE AND THE LABORATORY NOW BEING DEVELOPED BY THE CHINESE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION.

/+AS A