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Abu Dhabi / WAM
Some 844,636 local and international factories and 40,636 products got the Emirates Quality Mark (EQM), by the end of 2017, compared to only 241 industrial facilities and 10,209 products in 2013, according to the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA).
In an exclusive interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM), Abdullah Al Moaini, Director-General of ESMA, said, “Some 103 local and 78 international factories have registered with us in 2017 alone seeking to obtain the EQM, which is an indication that a rising number of industries are keen to ensure that all their manufacturing, transport, logistics and distribution operations are in conformity to the UAE’s quality standards.
“By analysing the applications we received so far for EQM, we came to the conclusion that an increasing number of businesses are seeking to gain the confidence and trust of the local consumers, thus winning more share in the UAE’s vibrant local market.”
The three-year-long EQM is a mark of conformity granted to the products that can demonstrate compliance with the relevant UAE National Standards, regional and/or international standards and are manufactured by an organisation implementing an effective Quality Management System to ensure continuous compliance.
“Some 4,000 products got EQM in 2017, which means that these products conform to UAE’s quality standards that are based on the best international practices in this regard.
“By obtaining EQM, local factories and production lines can increase the competitiveness of their products in the regional as well as the international markets, consequently boosting the UAE national economy,” he added.
The process of achieving the licence to use the EQM involves a comprehensive evaluation of the product as well as the quality system used by the manufacturer in production through testing and inspection.
The EQM mark is printed or engraved in the product and in case there is not enough space, or for whatsoever reason, it is printed, engraved or pasted on the package of the product in a way that it cannot be erased.
“No industrial facility or product will be granted EQM certification unless it conforms to all the standards set by ESMA,” he stressed.
As for the support provided by ESMA to the young Emirati entrepreneurs who have small and medium enterprises, SMEs, he said, “We provide them with 96 percent discount on our fees if they are supported by any of the funds and programmes for supporting the UAE young entrepreneurs.”
This is provided they produce electrical home appliances, construction materials, electricity cables, foodstuff and drinking water, etc., and are registered with ESMA.
The authority also offers 50 percent discounts for the other national factories, he said.
“These discounts are applied following the UAE Cabinet Resolution No. (36) for 2015 regarding approved fees of the UAE system for control of Conformity Assessment Bodies,” he said.