XN000022-1991-05-24 — Page 14

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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1991

"UNDER THESE AGREEMENTS, TEST ACCREDITED LABORATORIES WILL HAVE CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY SCHEMES, MR BARMA SAID.

H

LABORATORIES

CERTIFICATES ISSUED BY HOKLAS THE SAME VALIDITY AS TEST ACCREDITED BY THE OVERSEAS

OF

HE SAID NAMAS, NATA, A2LA AND TELARC WERE LEADERS LABORATORY ACCREDITATION IN THE WORLD AND HONG KONG WAS PROUD THAT EACH OF THEM HAD ACCEPTED HOKLAS AS A SCHEME OF EQUIVALENT STANDING.

"INDEED, HOKLAS IS THE ONLY ACCREDITATION SCHEME IN ASIA WHICH HAS SUCCESSFULLY ACHIEVED AGREEMENTS WITH THESE MAJOR SCHEMES.

"THIS GIVES AN INDICATION OF THE IMPORTANCE THE GOVERNMENT IS ATTACHING TO THE PROMOTION OF QUALITY IN INDUSTRY AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TEST CERTIFICATES OVERSEAS," HE SAID.

MR BARMA SAID MUTUAL RECOGNITION AGREEMENTS HAD AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE.

THEY PROMOTED CONFIDENCE AND WIDER ACCEPTANCE OF TEST RESULTS AND REDUCED THE NEED FOR RE-TESTING.

TESTING AND ACCREDITATION WERE INCREASINGLY BEING MADE MANDATORY BY LEGISLATORS AND BEING DEMANDED BY BUYERS ALL OVER THE WORLD, HE SAID.

"FOR HONG KONG TO SUCCEED AS A MAJOR EXPORTER IN THE WORLD MARKET, IT IS VITAL THAT WE CONTINUE TO UPGRADE OUR LABORATORIES THROUGH ACCREDITATION, AND PROMOTE THE ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TEST CERTIFICATES AS WIDELY AS POSSIBLE," MR BARMA SAID.

HE SAID TELARC WAS THE FIRST LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SCHEME IN THE WORLD TO PROVIDE TRAINING COURSES ON LABORATORY MANAGEMENT AND LABORATORY SYSTEMS AUDITING, AND TO HAVE EXPANDED BEYOND LABORATORY ACCREDITATION INTO SYSTEMS ACCREDITATION,

ENVIRONMENTAL-FRIENDLY LABELLING.

PRODUCT

"THIS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING FOR

OF TEST CERTIFICATES WILL ESTABLISH FOR TELARC.

CERTIFICATION AND

THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION HOKLAS A FORMAL LINK WITH

"NO DOUBT WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES AND EXPERTISE IN LABORATORY ACCREDITATION," HE SAID.

ALSO SPEAKING AT THE SIGNING CEREMONY, DR GARSIDE SAID THE MOU REPRESENTED CONFIDENCE BY EACH PARTY IN WHAT THE OTHER PARTY WAS DOING.

"IT MEANS THAT TESTING AND CALIBRATION LABORATORIES ACCREDITED BY HOKLAS, IF THEY WERE TO BE ASSESSED BY TELARC, WOULD BE FOUND TO CONFORM то THE REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION BY TELARC, AND SIMILARLY, TELARC ACCREDITED LABORATORIES IN NEW ZEALAND WOULD CONFORM, TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF HOKLAS.

"WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT TEST DATA FROM LABORATORIES CAN BE VIEWED WITH THE SAME CONFIDENCE TELARC REGISTERED LABORATORY," HE SAID.

HOKLAS ACCREDITED AS THAT FROM A

/DR GARSIDE