12 November 2004	Friday	28 Ramazan 1425

ISLAMABAD, Nov 11: Science and Technology Minister Nouraiz Shakoor on Thursday said the National Quality Policy (NQP) would be announced soon to improve industrial, human quality and productivity.

The NQP, formulated after four years of consultations with public and private sectors and advice from experts, had already been submitted to the cabinet for approval, the minister said while speaking at a signing ceremony between PNAC and CIIT here.

The Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) and the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) will jointly work with the objective to improve industrial and human quality and productivity for the ultimate aim of enhancing exports and accelerating economic development.

The main purpose of this MoU is to establish a working relationship between the PNAC and the CIIT to coordinate and organize training seminars and courses under "crash awareness raising and training programme in the field of quality".

The minister said the NQP with Rs10 billion outlay would ensure supply of quality products to domestic consumers at competitive prices and strengthen the national quality infrastructure.

He urged both the PNAC and the CIIT to take benefit of this MoU and accelerate the pace of awareness campaign further so that all the stakeholders can benefit equally.

Mr Shakoor said a comprehensive policy initiative had been taken by his ministry to strengthen, upgrade and where necessary, rebuild a strong national regulatory and quality infrastructure to address such needs and requirement.-APP