It gives me great pleasure to learn that on 14th October, 2004 Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) is celebrating the World Standards Day to express its sustained commitment to the global theme of "Standards Connect the World" for this year.
Rapid info-tech developments substantiate that the theme is timely and that 'standards connect people and through them the world', nay a global village, is also expected to settle standards for intensifying beneficial interactions in all fields, particularly trade and business.
We all know that in the backdrop of WTO regime, International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC) develop universally acceptable standards to minimise Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs).
Pakistan is duly represented on these international bodies through the PSQCA that adopted most ISO and IEC Standards as its own. Pakistan Standards now exceed 20,000, and cover most products, services and business, in addition to Pakistan specific standards, through only 46 are mandatory.
As a necessary corollary to the harmonisation of Pakistani and international standards, it is indeed imperative to upgrade our laboratory facilities for manufacturers to test their products according to Pakistan Standards, besides ensuring compliance with customer's requirements based on the belief that "customer is always right". For this purpose, our Government has funded upgradation and strengthening of Standards Development Centre (SDC) at Karachi where online dissemination of information on standards is provided under one roof.
In addition, projects for strengthening and modernisation of PSQCA's quality control laboratories at Karachi and Lahore and upgradation of Technical Services Centre (TSC) Laboratory at Lahore have been approved to support business and industry.
For me, it is a matter of encouragement to note that the PSQCA has been declared the nodal point for Asian Co-operation Dialogue (ACD) countries forum for which it recently hosted a workshop, as well. By these initiatives, the PSQCA is not only promoting international liaison, but also engaged in introducing quality culture and public awareness through print and electronic media. I congratulate the PSQCA Management and the Staff for their hard work and dedication, to urge them to make the World Standards' Day celebrations a great success, with the hope that this day would eventually promote and indeed enhance people's awareness to quality culture.
Finally, it is indeed a matter of satisfaction that the PSQCA is a self-financed organisation that is gearing up to move to its permanent campus with in-house modern laboratories.
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