The first meeting of the Supreme Council for Standards, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, took place today, on the 20th of August, at Marmarin Palace. The meeting was attended by the Director General of the National Standards Authority, Mullah Faizullah Tamim, permanent members of the council, and representatives from the private sector.
During his speech at the meeting, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund stated that Afghanistan is taking its initial steps toward economic growth and development. He emphasized the necessity of aligning products and services with national and international standards to compete regionally and globally. He added that standards ensure the quality and credibility of products and production, enabling them to compete in national, regional, and global markets and gain international recognition. He further highlighted that every standard adopted and implemented in Afghanistan fundamentally contributes to the country's economic growth and sustainable development.
Referring to the core function of the Supreme Council for Standards, the Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar Akhund noted that the council's primary responsibility is not just to introduce standards but also to ensure their effective implementation. This is crucial for taking practical steps toward national growth and development. He also mentioned that the council, as part of its national and foundational responsibility, strives to ensure fairness, transparency, and the principle of sustainable development in the implementation of standards, considering the needs of present and future generations.
According to Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund, the effective implementation of standards will lead to harmonization in production, expansion of trade, prevention of unnecessary costs, and time savings. Additionally, it will facilitate the transfer of new technologies from developed countries to Afghanistan. He called upon all national entrepreneurs and industrialists to provide high-quality products and goods to the public, keeping in mind the standards approved by the Supreme Council for Standards.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, urged all members of the Supreme Council for Standards to fulfill this significant national responsibility with complete dedication, professionalism, and sincerity, and to participate in future meetings of the council with clear achievements.
During this meeting, 24 new standards were presented for discussion by the Technical Committee of the National Standards Authority. Of these standards, 14 relate to specifications, and 10 pertain to testing methods. After comprehensive discussions, these standards were approved, and all relevant ministries and agencies were instructed to ensure their proper implementation. The National Standards Authority will monitor their implementation and regularly report to the leadership of the Supreme Council for Standards. These standards cover food, construction materials, petroleum products, chemicals, plastics, and textiles. Additionally, the Technical Committees of the National Standards Authority conducted a review of three standards.
It is noteworthy that the Supreme Council for Standards was established by decree number 2083 of the Office of the Prime Minister to safeguard health and safety, ensure quality, protect consumers, facilitate trade, create unified rules and standards, and ensure their implementation and environmental protection.
