XN000022-1990-10-13 — Page 6

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1990

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WORLD STANDARDS DAY TOMORROW

*

HONG KONG WILL BE JOINING MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD TOMORROW (SUNDAY) IN RECOGNISING WORLD STANDARDS DAY WHICH MARKS ANOTHER MILESTONE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDISATION.

THE EVENT IS ORGANISED BY THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDISATION (190) AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION (IEC), OF WHICH HONG KONG IS A MEMBER.

ORGANISATION FOR ELECTROTECHNICAL

THE TWO ORGANISATIONS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT STANDARDS AND WORKING TOWARDS COMPATIBILITY OF SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH MANUFACTURERS AND CONSUMERS.

AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR ERNEST EVANS, SAID HONG KONG'S MAJOR MARKETS HAD BEEN PLACING INCREASING EMPHASIS ON QUALITY AND CONSUMER SAFETY IN RECENT YEARS.

"TO PROMOTE STANDARDISATION AND THE AWARENESS OF QUALITY IN HONG KONG, THE PRODUCT STANDARDS INFORMATION BUREAU OF THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT WAS SET UP SIX YEARS AGO TO COLLECT AND DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS IN HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS MARKETS TO THE INDUSTRY.

"THE BUREAU'S PRODUCT STANDARDS LIBRARY MAINTAINS THE NATIONAL STANDARDS OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR MARKETS AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ISSUED BY THE ISO AND IEC.

"TO GAIN EFFICIENT ACCESS TO THE EXTENSIVE DATABASE OF OVERSEAS STANDARDS INSTITUTIONS, THE BUREAU SET UP DIRECT ON-LINE COMPUTER LINKS WITH THESE INSTITUTIONS LATE LAST YEAR," HE SAID.

AGENCY

IN ADDITION, MR EVANS SAID, THE BUREAU OPERATED A SALES SERVICE THROUGH WHICH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS COULD BE PURCHASED.

"IT IS ALSO AUTHORISED TO REPRODUCE AND SELL PHOTOCOPIES OF BRITISH, EUROPEAN, ISO

190 AND IRC STANDARDS TO FACILITATE USERS OF

TO EXTENDED STANDARDS. THE PHOTOCOPYING SERVICE WILL SOON

COVER

AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS, HE SAID.

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BE

APART FROM ANSWERING GENERAL ENQUIRIES ON STANDARDS, THE

A TECHNICAL BUREAU ALSO PROVIDES

ENQUIRY SERVICE TO EXPLAIN THE PARTICULAR FEATURES OF OVERSEAS REQUIREMENTS AND, WHERE APPROPRIATE, OFFERS SUGGESTIONS ON WAYS TO ENABLE A PRODUCT TO MEET THE

REQUIREMENTS.

THE SERVICE HAS BEEN WELL-RECEIVED BY LOCAL MANUFACTURERS AND EXPORTERS WITH THE NUMBER OF ENQUIRIES HANDLED BY THE BUREAU GROWING FROM 25 IN 1984 TO 1,600 LAST YEAR,

MANUFACTURING

TO FURTHER ASSIST THE

SECTOR ΤΟ MAINTAIN ITS REPUTATION FOR COMPETITIVENESS BY SECURING A PERMANENT INTERNATIONAL

QUALITY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS INTRODUCED A QUALITY IMPROVEMENT

MANUFACTURERS' PROGRAMME TO SUPPORT

OWN EFFORTS TO UPGRADE THEIR

PRODUCTION.

/THE PROGRAMME