ASEAN or the Association.of South East Asian Nations, has established an ASEAN Consultative Committee Standards and Quality (ACCSQ) with the primary objective to trade in the region.
In the recent years, member countries of ASEAN, comprising of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand are experiencing rapid economic growth and expansion. Everyone is doing good business, so to speak. Malaysia for instance, has for several years achieved 8 percent plus in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The other member countries are equally impressive in their economic performance.
Apparently, ASEAN enterprises are poised for even bigger businesses ahead. However, differing standards and technical regulation between countries, if not properly managed could cause barrier to trade and hamper development. Hence, at the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting held in October 1992 in Manila, there was consensus for the formation of ACCSQ.
The ACCSQ has the primary role to complement and facilitate the implementation of the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Agreement in pursuance of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). It is destined to work toward the reduction of technical barriers to trade between countries in the region. High up in the agenda is the harmonization of standards and conformance of procedures which are deemed to have direct impact on trade and bring. transactions between countries.
The membership of ACCSQ has the input of national standards bodies and the relevant chambers of trade and industries. The national standards organizations are the Construction Planning & Research Unit, Ministry of Development, Brunei Darussalam: the Dewan Standardisasi Nasional (DSN), Standardization Council of Indonesia: the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM); the Bureau of Product Standards, Philippines; the Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research (SISIR); and the Thailand Industrial Standards Institute (TISI).
The Consultative Committee has a broad terms of reference with which to operate. The terms include the following matters:
(i) General matters relating to standards and quality;
(ii) Matters relating to technical information;
(iii) Matters relating to the non-regulatory sector; and
(iv) Matters relating to the regulatory sector
Inaugurated in early 1993, ACCSQ has established three technical working groups (TWG), each being responsible for studying a specific area of work. A brief description of each of these TWG's is given below :
(i) TWG 1 : Standards and Information
It will work on the harmonization of standards and rationalization of product regulations among member countries in consonance with the objective of AFTA. Effective sharing of information and networking between standards bodies will also be studied.
(ii) TWG 2 : Conformity Assessment
It will look into the establishment of a framework for mutual recognition of conformity assessment practices. Cooperative programmes in quality system conformance and assessors registration ill also be executed.
(iii) TWG 3 : Testing and Calibration
It will work toward achieving mutual recognition of calibration and test reports. It will also look into how each others test capabilities can be complemented and how mutual confidence can be increased through training, attachment and inter- comparison programmes.
The above working groups have already swung into action through meetings and consultation. Some 20 work programmes have already been identified and scheduled for implementation in the near and medium term. Each of these programmes is being led by a national standards body with the support from other members in the usual ASEAN cooperative spirit.
The implementation of these programmes is certain to bring benefits to the business and industrial sector. Among the benefits are :
(i) reduction of technical barriers regarding regulations and standards between countries;
(ii) increased cross-border procurement and trade;
(iii) wider international acceptance of ASEAN products; and
(iv) creation of an ASEAN testing and calibration network
