XN000022-1986-06-27 — Page 15

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FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1986

NO INDUSTRY IN HONG KONG WAS IMMUNE FROM COMPETITION AND FIERCE PRESSURE CAME NOT JUST IN TERMS OF PRICE BUT IN TERMS SUCH AS PRODUCT SAFETY, RELIABILITY, CAPABILITY AND DESIGN.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PRACTICE OF QUALITY ASSURANCE IN MANUFACTURING ULTIMATELY RESTED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, HE SAID BUT THE GOVERNMENT DID ACCEPT THAT IT HAD A ROLE TO PLAY IN PROMOTING QUALITY ASSURANCE. IT SAW THIS ROLE AS ONE OF PROVIDING

MANUFACTURERS WITH THE SUPPORT THEY NEEDED TO DEVELOP THEIR QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS.

MR YEUNG SAID: +FIRST, IT UNDERTAKES INVESTIGATIONS INTO DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS IN RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS. THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ON ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS AS A RESULT OF THIS HAS DECLINED FROM A PEAK OF 21 IN 1982 TO THREE IN 1985 AND TWO SO FAR IN 1986. FIGURES FOR TOYS HAVE ALSO DECLINED. SECOND THE DEPARTMENT PROMOTES AND PROVIDES SERVICES WHICH FACILITATE THE APPLICATION OF QUALITY ASSURANCE.+

IN RECENT YEARS, THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT HAD CREATED A NUMBER OF UNITS WHOSE SERVICES WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO HELP MANUFACTURERS TO SET UP QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEMS.

THE PRODUCT STANDARDS INFORMATION BUREAU DISSEMINATED INFORMATION ON A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCT STANDARDS, ON TESTING METHO AND PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING OVERSEAS CERTIFICATION MARKS. ENQUIRIES HAD GROWN FROM 25 IN 1984 TO 193 IN 1985 AND 213 SO FAR THIS YEAR WITH DEMAND STILL GROWING.

THE HONG KONG STANDARDS AND CALIBRATION LABORATORY PROVIDED A PRECISION CALIBRATION SERVICE AND IT WOULD BE ACCREDITED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM NATIONAL PHYSICS LABORATORY NEXT MONTH, HE SAID.

THE HONG KONG LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SCHEME SOUGHT TO UPGRADE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE TERRITORY'S TESTING LABORATORIES BY PERSUADING THEM TO ADOPT A SOUND QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM FOR THE IR OPERATIONS AND BY ACCREDITING THEM AFTERWARDS.

JOINT EFFORT TO KEEP HK CLEAN *****

THE URBAN COUNCIL KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN COMMITTEE TODAY (FRIDAY) APPOINTED FOUR OF ITS MEMBERS TO SIT ON THE NEW URBAN COUNCIL- REGIONAL COUNCIL KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN STEERING COMMITTEE.

CHAIRMAN OF THE UC COMMITTEE, MR WALTER SULKE WILL ALSO SERVE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE WHILE REGIONAL COUNCILLOR MR CHEUNG HON-KAU WILL BE VICE-CHAIRMAN.

/THE OTHER