WORLD ACCREDITATION DAY Message from Agha Hassan Baloch Minister Science and Technology

TEXT: Every year, 09th June is marked as “World Accreditation Day” (WAD), through a global initiative jointly established by International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) to promote the value of accreditation. Every year WAD supports a specific theme highlighting the importance of accreditation. This year WAD 2022 signifies the role of Accreditation for Sustainability in Economic Growth and the Environment.

The day is being celebrated with objectives to realize the facts that the World economy relies heavily on natural resources provided by healthy ecosystems and yet we continue to put these ecosystems through enormous stress and to consume resources at an alarming rate. Using Accreditation as a tool can support the shift to a circular economy and more sustainable forms of production and similarly use of standards can help organizations adopt more eco-friendly practices to have the credible results.

Pakistan is a developing country in South Asia. Economy of Pakistan is growing and it is expected that it will continue with same trend in the future. Pakistan's economy depends on agriculture which is the main dominant sector of the country, but due to industrial and construction sector, agriculture land is reducing. Besides this, rapid increase in population is causing deforestation. Increase in economic growth and industrial sectors use energy for growth that causes environmental degradation. Pakistan is facing high demand of energy for which traditional energy sources are used to meet its fast-increasing demand for energy. Use of traditional energy resources causes discharge of carbon dioxide that helps to deteriorate environmental quality. Environmental degradation is affecting the environment and health of the human being in Pakistan.

There is need to revise policy related to economic growth in Pakistan for controlling the environmental degradations. For the purpose the policies that encourage using environment-friendly equipment, machinery, vehicles and utilities to minimize the environmental degradations in Pakistan.

In this regard, a strong Quality Infrastructure based on Metrology, Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Quality is the backbone for the achievement and sustainability of policies related to economic growth and safe environment. Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) is strengthening its quality infrastructure i.e., NPSL, PSQCA, PNAC, PCSIR to accomplish the desired results. MoST has also developed National Quality Policy to ensure the availability of quality of products/services in the country to ensure the purpose.

Accreditation is key pillar of quality infrastructure evaluating and ensuring the implementation of standards and conformity assessment services. Products, processes, services, management systems, and persons are audited against a standard, code of practice, defined policy and regulatory requirement by Certification Bodies, Testing and Calibration Laboratories, and Inspection Bodies. These bodies are assessed and recognized by PNAC. PNAC is evaluated and recognized by the International Accreditation Forum. The reports/results issued by these the recognized bodies are critical to the functioning of developed and developing societies. It supports policy objectives in areas including cross-border trade and environmental protection. It provides a trusted platform for defining, developing and verifying requirements for products and services meeting the specified requirements.

Hence, Accreditation determines the technical competence, integrity and impartiality of organizations providing conformity assessment services which reduces risk for business assuring safe environment and its customers by assuring them that accredited certificates/reports may be relied upon.

It’s worth mentioning here that PNAC has signed Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) with International Accreditation Forum (IAF), International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), and Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) after a rigorous process of peer evaluation and is a member of International Halal Accreditation Forum (IHAF) and Standards Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC). By virtue of these recognitions Test Report/Certificates issued by accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies of PNAC are accepted Worldwide, thus assist in overcoming technical barriers to trade.

I congratulate PNAC for all the hard work that has gone into it despite its limited human resource. I think this day can be a source of start up for rapid achievement and sustainability of economic growth with protecting environment of Pakistan.

I appreciate the efforts of PNAC to sensitize the stakeholders on accreditation and assure full support of Ministry in its future endeavors.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022