H.E. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, chaired the third regular session of the High Council for Standards today at the Marmarine palace, with Mullah Faizullah Tamim, Director General of the National Standard Authority, and the council's permanent members in attendance.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs stated that the council's meetings prioritize the quality of Afghanistan's products, and to maintain and enhance this quality, standard benchmarks are established and approved. These standards enhance the global credibility of domestic products, while also contributing significantly to the country’s export growth.
Following that, the Director General of ANSA, Mullah Faizullah Tamim, emphasized the importance of standards. He explained that the implementation of standard benchmarks not only protects the health of humans and animals but also contributes significantly to creating a safe environment. He further noted that, to achieve this, ANSA introduces these standards across various sectors to manufacturing factories, companies, and relevant institutions.
In their annual report presentation, ANSA officials highlighted that they had introduced hundreds of standards across various sectors to relevant factories, companies, and institutions to encourage standardized production. They also conducted inspections of 61 manufacturing factories and companies. While some of the products met the required standards, the majority were found to be non-compliant, prompting the Authority to issue the necessary recommendations for corrective actions.
The High Council for Standards stressed the importance of fully implementing the approved standards across sectors such as pharmaceuticals, food products, construction materials, and others. It was decided that, in cases of non-compliance or violations, ANSA would forward the matter to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs’ Office for appropriate action concerning the operations of the relevant factory or company. Furthermore, to ensure continuous oversight and full adherence to the approved standards, a comprehensive implementation plan will be developed and carried out under ANSA’s leadership, in coordination with the pertinent ministries and institutions.
During the third regular meeting of the High Council for Standards, 30 standards were presented for approval across various sectors, including food and agricultural products, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, construction materials, electronics and telecommunications, textiles and leather, environmental protection, plastics, medical devices, mining, and animal slaughtering. After an in-depth discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs approved the standards and directed ANSA officials to ensure their thorough implementation. The Authority was also assigned the responsibility of providing regular reports on the progress of these standards' implementation to the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs' Office.
Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar Akhund stated that this initiative will help prevent the import and production of substandard products in the country, while simultaneously ensuring public health and enhancing the quality of goods and services.
