The government has initiated a move to set up Bangladesh Quality Council (BQC) to ensure standards of products and services as well as coordination among the existing organisations concerned, officials said.
Once the proposed council is established, all local or foreign institutions that provide certificates on standards, like - ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, must be registered with it.
The Ministry of Industries (MoI), in this connection, has already drafted a law - 'Bangladesh Quality Council Act 2020', they also said.
The MoI sought opinions last month from stakeholders on the BQC, requesting to send their respective views, if any, by October 15, a ministry official said.
"It is crucial to ensure quality of both imported and exportable products and services for sustainable industrialisation and increasing both local and foreign direct investment," the draft read.
It also requires developing the standards of national quality infrastructure to international level and ensuring coordination among the existing organisations, it said, explaining objective of the BQC.
According to the draft, the government will set up the council within the shortest possible time, once the Act comes into effect.
The proposed BQC will be comprised of five members - one executive chairman and four members. Their appointment, duty, duration of service, and terms and conditions will be administered by rules.
There will also be a governing body, comprising of 31 members, including representatives from the Prime Minister's Office, the government's ministries and departments concerned, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries, and Export Promotion Bureau, according to the draft.
The proposed BQC will formulate required laws, policies and strategic guidelines to ensure quality of products and services, technical regulations and accreditation, as per the draft.
"It will also monitor the activities of National Enquiry Point for World Trade Organisation (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)."
The council will also provide information related to different standards, technical regulations, and WTO TBT agreements.
A digital database of technical regulations based on the category of products and services will be developed and preserved under the BQC.
The council will also introduce international registration system for auditors engaged in the process of providing certificates of standards, the draft added.
It also incorporated a provision of penalty of Tk 0.1 million, if standards certificate providers violate the mandatory requirement of registration and related laws.
The BQC will have the authority to cancel certificate or impose penalty up to Tk 0.5 million in cases of repeated violations, it added.
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