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| August 7, 2003 | Thursday | Jumadi-us-Sani 8, 1424 |
‘Quality testing labs must before 2005’
ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: Pakistan must develop international quality testing and calibration facilities before the WTO provisions are enforced in the year 2005, to sell its products in the world.
The sad fact, however, is that the country remains without a testing and calibration laboratory certified according to 1SO- 17025.
This was stated at a seminar organized by the Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), the National Accreditation Council (PNAC), the Directorate of Quality Assurance (DQA) and the ministry of science and technology to cover requirements of the technical aspects for the certification of laboratories in Pakistan.
PAEC chairman Pervez Butt said Pakistan could not make progress without adhering to quality. He narrated an incident to illustrate his point.
While touring Pakistan, an overseas engineer felt frustrated with the kind of electrical gadgets of a hotel he was staying in. He brought to Mr Butt an ill-fitting electrical pin and socket. “If you cannot make simple electric equipment how can you imagine that people of other countries will buy them?” Asked the engineer.
Mr Butt said the seminar was a preparation for introducing competence, skill and reputation in our laboratories.
As for PAEC, he said it had a highly-developed safety culture at its two nuclear power plants in Chashma and Karachi, which operated under strict quality control management and maintained high safety records in accordance with the international safety standards.
In addition, the PAEC manufacturing facility for mechanical equipment was certified as per ISO-9000 standards.
Upaili Samarajeewa from Sri Lanka, who is the author of over 200 research papers and is a consultant to the S&T ministry, delivered the keynote address.
He enumerated quality test data for products that have to be exported. “The products must possess scientifically credible and legally defensible data to establish their consistent quality over a period of time,” he maintained.
He said ISO-17025 specified the requirements and competence to carry out tests by enforcing accreditation system and a quality manual, which should describe the quality of the product in detail and provide quality management structure as well as maintain quality system records.
The quality manual should state policy statements, setting out what the policy commitments are in relation to the product.
He said ISO-17025 protected the interest of the industry concerned so that it could compete in international markets with confidence and sell its products.
PNAC director-general Mr Rashid said Pakistan would have to develop potentials as well as skilled manpower to manufacture world-class goods; and hence there is a need to validate our standards. If the testing was not done internally on world standards, the WTO regulations provided for inspection by world-class assessors.
Mr Rashid quoted a recent experience by a reputed exporter, who had sent quality salt rocks to Europe. His products were returned because they lacked C-quality stamps. “So we must have both the laboratories for carrying out the tests as well as proven assessors who could do the job,” he said.—Jonaid Iqbal
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