Yemen increasing standardization of products

Yemen increasing standardization of products













Al-Beshah spoke of the organization’s activities at the press conference. the end of 2006, the Yemeni Standardizations, Metrology and Quality Control Organization had published 1,638 standards and plans to issue 400 additional standards this year, said Ahmed al-Beshah, Deputy Director-General of Yemeni Standardizations and Quality Control Organization, during a press conference last Monday.

The press conference was held on March 15, marking the occasion of Arab Day for Standardizations. The standards include labeling standards, such as listing what ingredients must be listed on a food label. It also includes standardizing the size of printed newspapers and magazines, and the way things are manufactured. Al-Beshah spoke about the organization’s activities its plan for the current year, which includes campaigns to seize non-standard goods in the local markets and the potential implementation of new laboratory equipment.

The organization is setting up a new laboratory in each of the governorates of Aden, Hodeidah, and Hadhramout. The organization will complete the opening of new branches this year within the Yemeni customs outlets and open new offices in a number of other Yemeni governorates, he said. The organization is currently preparing to execute surprise inspections of the market to seize illicit items and control violations. During the last year, the organization seized 40 loads of expired canned foodstuffs, valued at several million rials. The seizures took place both in the markets and in customs outlets, under the organization’s supervision.

A number of different shipments of imported goods were also seized during inspections of storage warehouses in various ports and other venues, and control of goods has been monitored by means of laboratory tests on samples of goods. Al-Beshah concluded by saying that there is a strong coordination between the Yemeni Standardizations Organization and the consumers association to track violations that the association announces in order to control them.