'Accreditation crucial for $100b export'

Accreditation and conformity assessment are crucial to achieving the country's US$ 100-billion export target in the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26, said speakers at a programme in the capital on Sunday.
They also said accreditation would also play an important role to maintain quality and standard of products to be competitive in the global market.
The speakers opined that accreditation of products and services would support the (country's) future prospect in global trade.
They made the observations at a discussion, marking the International Accreditation Day 2023, jointly organised by Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) at DCCI auditorium.
The theme of this year's accreditation day was "Accreditation: Supporting the Future of Global Trade".
"If we can maintain the quality of products and services, we can grab the international market easily," Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun said as the chief guest at the discussion.
"For the sake of the country and creating confidence on our products in the competitive global market, BAB is working relentlessly to create awareness."
He also said the accreditation system should be more effective, especially for the development of those industries that are related to health, security, safety and environment.
Accreditation is an integral part of world quality assurance system, he opined.
"In order to increase export of our locally made products in the international market, we need internationally accredited and credible national quality infrastructure."
He further said in this era of free economy, many countries impose various technical barriers to trade for protecting their respective products, and most of those (barriers) are related with quality certification.
"Therefore, accreditation is currently an important tool for creating a strong export market," he maintained.
Ministry of Industries Secretary Zakia Sultana, who was the special guest, said in order to secure future trade there is no alternative to accreditation.
She stressed on producing quality products and services to be competitive in the global market, where taste and attitude of consumers are always changing.
Accredited (local) labs are accepted in the international market, and BAB has already accredited 124 institutions so far.
She also informed that at present 21 Bangladeshi products need accreditation from India's National Accreditation Board Limited (NABL) to enter Indian market.
In this regard, she focused on the need to enhance the capacity of BAB, so that Bangladesh's accreditation system could get easy acceptance worldwide.
"People are not still aware of importance of accreditation. So, we need to create mass awareness. If we can have our laboratories accredited, our export will get a boost."
BAB has recently started Halal Accreditation Scheme, she added.
DCCI President Md Sameer Sattar said Bangladesh's total trade in the international market was $ 141.42 billion in 2022, and its export was more than $ 52.08 billion in the last FY. Bangladesh is gradually progressing to an export-oriented country from an import-dependent country.
"For this, export accreditation is a very important tool. To show the quality of specific products, we need internationally accredited certificate, and these certificates play a pivotal role in boosting export."
After Bangladesh's graduation from a least developed country (LDC) in 2026, maintaining compliance of locally produced goods would be a great challenge, the DCCI president noted.
"To face this challenge as well as meet the GSP+ and other compliance criteria, accreditation will play the vital role."
He stressed on capacity building and ensuring quality infrastructure of all testing labs as well as BAB.
BAB has to work hard to ensure standard and compliance for a sustainable economic growth, he added. BAB Director General (additional secretary) Md. Monwarul Islam presided over the event.
He said the world is moving towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and new technologies are coming one after another.
In the global free market economy and with the ever-changing dynamics of technological advancement, there is no alternative to accreditation of products and services to compete with other economies.
At present accreditation is not an auxiliary system, but a must for world trade. Accredited products or services can enter any country easily, the BAB DG stated.
BAB has taken initiative to get the membership of International Accreditation Forum (IAF), he mentioned.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com