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Government urges local businesses to meet global standards
The government wants local business operators to improve their production processes, services and management systems to an international standard to ensure smooth integration into the Asean Community and global markets.
“The government is pleased to support the development of good business operations for future economic growth,” Minister of Industry and Commerce Dr Nam Vinhaket said at the Petroleum Trading Lao Co Ltd's three year anniversary and international standard certificates presentation ceremony on Saturday.
“It is an important step for Laos to integrate its economy with the Asean Community, which will be launched in 2015,” Dr Nam said.
Laos is currently preparing for economic integration in line with the Asean Community and Asean Free Trade Area, as well as global markets.
“If we do not have strong local businesses, Laos will not fully benefit from the Asean Community,” he said.
Many local companies are trying to expand their services and management capacity, and some have already attained international standard certificates from foreign organisations.
“We want to build up the Lao economy and ensure more benefits for local companies, customers and the country as a whole,” Dr Nam said.
He said companies that already have ISO certifications should serve as models for others, to improve the quality of services and increase competitiveness in Laos.
“In the near future we will see many more local businesses improve their operations,” he said.
Last Saturday, local fuel supplier Petroleum Trading Lao confirmed it had obtained three international standard certificates from Société Générale de Surveillance (Thailand) Ltd after only three years of operations.
The company is now in possession of ISO 9001:2008, which relates to quality management systems, ISO 14001:2004, for environmental management systems, and OHSAS 18001, which relates to health and safety standards.
In July, Electricite du Laos was granted the prestigious ISO 9001:2008 international standard quality management system certification by BM Trada Certification Ltd. BM Trada stands for British Maritime Timber Research and Development Association.
The scope of activities covered by the certification are defined as management of metre reading, billing, collection and fault call centre for electricity distribution for household, commercial and industrial sectors.
In January, the Lao Indochina Group Co Ltd's Tapioca Factory received two international standard certificates from the United Registrar of Systems (URS) South East Asia Co Ltd, under URS UK.
The two certificates are the ISO-9001:2008 in recognition of the company's quality management system and good manufacturing practice in food hygiene. The activities covered by the certificates are defined as manufacturing and the sale of tapioca starch.
In the same month, the Lao State Fuel Company received an ISO-9001:2008 certificate from URS (Thailand) Limited in recognition of the company's quality management system. The scope of activities covered by the certificate is defined as the import and distribution of fuel and lubricants.
Last December, KPN Tapioca Factory in Pathoumphon district, Champassak province, received ISO-9001:2008 and good manufacturing practice certificates from URS (Thailand) Limited.
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