Authorities in Beijing yesterday kicked off a new campaign aimed
at eradicating fake goods and unsafe food before the start of the
2008 Beijing Olympics Games in August 2008.
The program will encourage Beijing-based companies in the
commercial and service sectors to seek accreditation in
international management standards.
The Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, the
Beijing Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Beijing
Municipal Bureau of Commerce have been assigned to run the
campaign.
"The management standards include the ISO 9001 quality
management standard, the ISO14001 environmental management
standard, the OHSAS 18001 health and safety management system
standard and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), which
are used to guard against chemical, physical and biological hazards
in the food production process," Liu Yuping, director of the
bureau's certification and supervision division, told China Daily.
Their primary targets are Beijing's department stores,
supermarkets, restaurants and hotels, as well as companies that
sell agricultural and farm products. Some companies that will be
providing food for the Olympics will also be involved.
Wei Chuanzhong, head of the inspection and quarantine bureau,
said 98 percent of the food export companies in Beijing had
answered the bureau's call to promote management standard
certificates last year.
"This year, the bureau will continue to persuade public
transportation companies, hotels and healthcare agencies to join
the accreditation-holders' force," Wei said.
In addition, goods imported specifically for the Olympics will
be subject to strict and quick inspections and quarantine. And
every catering company is required to keep its kitchen and dining
room in sanitary condition.
Olympic partner companies will have to adhere to certain
requirements, and accreditation will weigh in favor of candidate
companies. All the selected candidates will be required to comply
with certain international management systems before the
Olympics.
In addition to these requirements, the government intends to
lobby businesses to improve their operations. The inspection and
quarantine bureau will use its official website, www.bjciq.gov.cn,
as a portal to display information concerning accreditation,
accreditation providing agencies and the benefits associated with
adopting management standards. It has also worked with the Beijing
Administration for Industry and Commerce and the Beijing Municipal
Bureau of Commerce to provide training courses to government
officials and company employees.
"Anyway, for the companies, whether to take the accreditation is
simply a matter of choice. It will take them a while to realize why
we have worked so hard to encourage them to do so," Wei said.
(China Daily February 8, 2007)