The Jordan Institution for Standards and Metrology (JISM) and Bureau Veritas (Bivac) have announced the implementation of the Daman Program at a press conference held at the JISM headquarters in Shmeisani.
The two parties signed an agreement pertaining to the implementation of the International Product Conformity Certification Program (IPCCP) on July 20, 2003. Bivac, who won the tender out of six companies, will issue a conformity certificate attesting that goods amd products are in accordance with the required standards, on behalf of JISM.
Daman’s function is to ensure that products on the Jordanian domestic market conform to the required Jordanian or other international recognised standard. Domestically produced goods will be tested and certified at the site of manufacture. Imported goods will undergo verification and testing in the country of supply.
The main objective of this program is to safeguard consumers through: health and environmental protection, implementation of safety standards for products and the enhancement of products’ overall quality. The program will also prevent unsafe products from entering the market, the dumping of low-quality, sub-standard products and detect counterfeit goods.
Certification of both imported and local products will allow fair competition between imported and local goods while providing the necessary degree of protection for the consumers. This is in line with the objective and requirements of World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The program will also develop the product testing capacities within the Kingdom. This will permit the granting of conformity certificates recognised throughout the world and will give global confidence to Jordanian products. It will facilitate the exporting process of Jordanian products to international markets, and should speed-up customs transactions, thereby reducing the overall cost and minimising delays.
Daman certification is mandatory for vehiclesand tires, electrical and electronic appliances, children’s toys and bicycles, personal protective equipment. Foodstuffs and other industries will be included in the program on a voluntary basis. Domestically produced goods will be tested and certified at the site of manufacture. Imported goods will undergo verification and testing in the country of supply. Daman will be operating under JISM’s authority.
A series of seminars have been held throughout the Kingdom for participants in the affected product categories, where they have been briefed and included in round-table discussions about how the program would affect their respective markets. The program has been well received by traders, retailers and importers alike met with over-riding enthusiasm by participants with many requests for expansion of the product categories. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
