XN000022-1992-10-13 — Page 15

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1992

14

THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF INDUSTRY, MR RICKY FUNG, SAID: "THIS DAY IS AN ANNUAL FOCAL POINT FOR PAYING TRIBUTE ΤΟ THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF THOUSANDS OF EXPERTS WHO PREPARE THE STANDARDS.

"THIS YEAR, ISO AND IEC HAVE CHOSEN * INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS A KEY TO OPEN MARKETS' AS THE THEME TO RECOGNISE THE GROWING IMPORTANCE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ARE HAVING ON THE FREE MOVEMENTS OF GOODS AND SERVICES ACROSS NATIONAL FRONTIERS."

THE EVENT IS BEING ORGANISED BY THE ISO AND THE IEC WHICH BEEN ACTIVE IN DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT STANDARDS WORKING TOWARDS COMPATIBILITY OF SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE FOR THE BENEFIT BOTH MANUFACTURERS AND CONSUMERS.

HAVE

AND OF

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 IS THUS CRUCIAL TO HONG KONG, HE SAID.

++

TO PROMOTE STANDARDISATION AND THE AWARENESS OF QUALITY IN HONG KONG, THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT SET UP THE PRODUCT STANDARDS INFORMATION BUREAU IN 1986.

ITS MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES ARE то COLLECT AND COLLATE INFORMATION ON STANDARDS REQUIREMENTS IN HONG KONG'S OVERSEAS MARKETS AS WELL AS TO DISSEMINATE IT 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.

IT HAS SET UP DIRECT

ON-LINE COMPUTER LINKS WITH OVERSEAS STANDARDS INSTITUTIONS SINCE 1989 IN ORDER TO GET UPDATED INFORMATION ON OVERSEAS STANDARDS.

A COMPUTER-ASSISTED INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEM HAS ALSO BEEN INSTALLED SINCE 1991.

IN ADDITION, THE BUREAU OPERATED 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 ΤΟ FACILITATE THE USE OF STANDARDS.

THE SALES AGENCY

SERVICE HAS BECOME MORE AND RECEIVED BY THE TRADE. FOR INSTANCE, THE VOLUME OF INCREASED 56 PER CENT DURING APRIL TO SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR THE CORRESPONDING PERIOD OF LAST YEAR.

MORE WELL

SALES HAS AS AGAINST

THE BUREAU