Every year 14th October is observed by all members countries of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC) as well the World Standard's Day with a view of create awareness about standards and quality of products & services for the sake of the stakeholders.
The manufacturers, traders and consumers more than 151 countries of the world, including Pakistan take part in the event. The theme of the World Standards Day for the 2007 is Standards and the Citizen: Contributing to Society.
The world is changing rapidly both technically and economically and this makes recognition of the International Standards of great relevance in every developing society.
Obviously quality culture is possible in the society only when all the main stakeholders pursue common objectives, goals and aspiration. Our every day reliance on products and their safety, the availability of all weather communications and a constantly increasing requirement of quality of services is a tribute to the thousands of standards in use all over the world through the courtesy of IEC, ISO, and ITU.
Similarly, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on technical barriers to trade emphasises the vital significance of international standards in providing the requisite basis for global markets and entities all governments to take care of the safety and health issues of their public but simultaneously ensure abolishing unnecessary technical barriers to free trade with the spirit to usher in an era of quality conscious culture all over the world and that is going to be the greatest service to the society at large.
I feel happy to know that Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) is celebrating the World Standards Day like all other international bodies in collaboration with ISO, IEC, and ITU. The sole objective is to promote quality culture in the general public.
There cannot be two opinions about the importance and role of standardisation and quality control in the progress and development of trade and industry. The consumer confidence in products manufactured any where from safety and health viewpoint can be gained only through meeting the criteria of the standardised products.
Standards are technical specifications that business uses the world over to produce goods and services of quality. Standards are means to achieve state-of-the-art technological know-how enabling to ensure safety and performance, but their basic and essential role is that by establishing certain parameters, they provide a common technological foundation for producing goods, services and systems in the world.
Globalisation has made the world a single unit and a large segment of consumers having access to quality goods are slowly coming in a position to demand quality and stress on standards especially when it is matter of health, safety and value added products.
Standardisation is one of the most rapidly progressing areas of co-operation for the developing countries. Indeed, standards are very important for enhancement of trade, quality and industrial development. In Pakistan there is a greater need for the development and implementation of standards in respect of the genuine concerns of every citizen: these includes safety, security, health and access to information and also the obligations including protecting the environment and respecting the safety, property and privacy of others.
The standards provide assured to the citizens to exercise these rights and obligations and create cumulative effect in persuasion of obligatory and mandatory protection.
The standards are meant for sustainable economic development and progress of the country. Pakistan cannot afford further delay on this account, as today's market motto throughout the world is such quality always sells that is uniformly applicable everywhere.
I am happy to note that the PSQCA is moving along-with world and ISO, IEC and ITU and making sincere efforts towards improving the quality of our products and making them acceptable both at home and aboard. I wish PSQCA to be a successful leader in their endeavours and to contribute to society in a meaningful manner.
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