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Standards and Consumer — Partners for Development and Mutual Benefits

Dr Golam Mowlah Director General Bangladesh Standards & Testing Institution (BSTI)
LET me start with the 28th World Standards Day message "World Trade needs World Wide Standards”. The day is going to be celebrated today the 14th October. 1997 throughout the World. The World Standards Day message reminds that the world has become a single market as well as worldwide Standards create the conditions for open trade which puts manufactures and consumers in a win-win situation. The World Standards Day urges that the world has become a conscious and discriminating consumers market in the concept of free and fair global trading and marketing system conforming to a adequate levels of quality, reliability and safety and bringing about the compatibility to technology worldwide. Standards are documents and agreements consisting of Code of Practice for preparation, adoption and application that also link the traders of products and services to reap maximum benefits. Standards need a consumers input fitted in a framework to be practical, useful and beneficial and the consumers need standards to protect them.
At present times a nation is known mainly by its economic conditions and achievements. This is the age of technology and industrialization as such an era of competitions. Under this present situation of higher competition and limited resources. productivity and customer's confidence by quality assurance measures is a key factor for everyone and every organization. So quality man-agement ia now taken as: a-move global and universal activities which also include environmental safety and other sociological qualities.
It can be mentioned that BSTI is the only national standard body of the country recognized internationally. Main functions of BSTI includes: development of national standards in the field of agricultural and industrial products and services, issue of certification marks (CM) licence for quality products and services, testing of products; and meteorological services.
At present the global trade as the proclamation of World Trade Organization (WTO) has endorsed that goods and services will move freely around the world offering opportunities to commercialize merchantable commodities and services among the countries. Capital restriction will disappear enabling banks, individuals and companies to convert money in the market of their choice. The commercial organization, bodies and companies shall have access to huge global market and discipline. There will remain the necessity for a fair, completion which fn turn will act as a springboard enabling each one to compete more effectively with the counterpart in world markets with quality products and services. As consumers the citizens now have a wider choice of products and services at fair and competitive values and prices along with the assurance of qualitative and quantitative aspects of materials, services and values. The present market economy calls for some adjustments for the concerning countries and organizations. Individual Government and company are concerned to find out ways and means to use the global market opportunities to their best advantage by introduction and implementation of successful planning, produc-
tion. marketing and distribution methods and technologies. Technical barriers to trade (TBT) which limits the entry and sale of goods and services in world market may be overcome through action involving search for consensus and consent paying due respects to mutual benefit and Interests. As such technical regulations are needed to make sure that goods are safe and fulfill the requirements of standards and quality Differences in technical specifications have long been used as a barrier to free trade between nations. Barriers to imported goods In western countries stemmed from product regulations and standards in a number of areas like safety norms, technical specification, health issues etc. Open market as advocated by Uruguay Round Agreement of General Agree-
ment on Tariffs and Trade (GATH creates both challenges and opportunities in the field of export through fair and undistorted competition of world trade. It is to be remembered that sound quality management approach is the prerequisite for the production of standard products and for deliberation of goods and services.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) founded in 1946, a worldwide federation of national bodies and a non-governmental organization endeavouring to bring the world trade under a single and uniform standard system through mutual understanding, recognition and subsequently resolving the differences usually' exists among the concerned governments, companies and bodies. At present ISO comprises of 120 members one in each country and urging to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and service s and to developing cooperation s in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economical activities. Both the business and consumers will derive benefits from Internai-tional Standards for products and services due to broad scale use of technology world-wide conforming to adequate level of quality, reliability and safety.
The Important function of International standards remain as a technical basis or foundation for global trade and market as thoroughly endorsed and recognized in WTO agreement of TBT. The WTO agreements mentioned a code of good practice for the preparation, adop-
tion and application of standards and advocate the governments to have the best use of Internationa] Standards with a view to prevent useless barriers to free flow of goods. ISO. IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) as complementary to each other in terms of standardization. on one side and the WTO on the other urging the message world trade needs worldwide standards and the WTO/TBT agreement signatories are urging for a free and fair global trading system and for reliance on International Standards.
Bangladesh Standards and Testing institution (BSTI) a governmental body and member of ISO. is entrusted with the responsibility to ensure the Implementation of standards on
national scale in conformity with the international bodies.
Quality is not lust a catch-phrare or a fad. out a way of life. It is always a result of intelligent effort and a will to produce a superior product or service. "Quality" was rapidly emerging as a new emphasis in commerce and industry. Various national and multinational standards had been developed in quality systems arena for commercial and industrial use. To meet the challenge of harmonization in the field of international trade. ISO has provided with a compendium of quality management having the title TSO-9000, International Standards for Quality Management” which gives an institutional idea about quality management. Evolution of IS>0-9000 gives a renewed impetus to quality management. In recent years one of the world-wide trends in quality management has been to see quality management as more global and universal activities. This is a quality activity as Total Quality Control (TQC). ISO has issued ISO-9000 series of standards for quality management systems those shall help the functioning of global trade. The ISO series cover key areas of quality policy, management leadership, market research product and process design and development. production methods, training purchasing, packaging sales and distribution, storage, after sales services, auditing and documentation. The series has been widely accepted as a universal standards. The registration of the commercial and companies with competent accredited bodies as proof of compliance with the ISO-9000
series of standards has become a globally essential market requirement. Implementation of ISO-9000 series of standards will enable export enterprises to offer products or services meeting well-defined needs, satisfying consumers exceptions, complying with applicable standards and requirements including health, safety and the environmental. The application of ISO-9000 series of standards will also reduce the technical barriers to trade. It can be mentioned that recent ISO-14000 series of standards representing an offer to benefit from technology transfers as well as a complete J[uide for the purpose of ntroduction and adoption of an environmental management System related to the best prac-
ces In quality management currently available and applicable to a wider range of products and services start from agriculture to industry and service oriented organization. These standards require dissemination and application. The immediate alm is to help improve quality assurance practices in developing countries and to harmonize them with standard representing the consensus of the international market place.
With the increasing liberalisation and globalization of markets Industries in developing countries are finding it more and more difficult to increase of even keep their share in the 'megamarkets' of industrialized countries in spite of Jhe price advantage due to lower labour costs. Market performance can -be improved only by : aj ImOTpV-ing product quality ft reliabHify?' b) ensuring conformity and compatibility with standards & regulations of export countries; and c) ensuring health and. safety of consumers and environmental protection.
The World Scenario is' changing and moving fast towards industrialization and economic emancipation and development. In the context of changing trend of global activities and performances due to harmonization as well as polarization and choice of own eco nomic and development part- ■ nership through fair and fre< * competition, agreement and understanding of team-work.; and looking to the next millennium which is only a few year s ahead, at this wake and tide of open market economy, th e quality of products and services of Bangladesh should conform to international quality an d standard to survive in the 'co Id war' of trade, commerce arid development and to remain at the right track, tune and form.
Abridged