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The Innovation and Technology Commission's services in the areas of
metrology, documentary standards and accreditation provide the technical
foundation for Hong Kong's standards and conformance infrastructure.
The Standards and Calibration Laboratory (SCL) is
the official custodian of Hong Kong's physical measurement standards.
It provides a comprehensive calibration service traceable to the International
System of Units (SI). The SCL is a signatory to the Global Mutual Recognition
Arrangement for National Measurement Institutes and its services are internationally
recognised and accepted.
The Product Standards Information Bureau (PSIB) offers
a comprehensive range of standards information services. Apart from its
reference standards library which is open to the public, the PSIB also
provides a free advisory service on standards, and a standards sales service.
It is the Enquiry Point and Notification Authority for Hong Kong under
the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade. The PSIB also coordinates
Hong Kong's input to APEC on standards and conformance matters.
The Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) provides
a comprehensive range of accreditation services for conformity assessment
bodies including testing and calibration laboratories, certification and
inspection bodies. In 2003, accreditation services were expanded to Chinese
medicine testing and certification of construction products. The HKAS
is a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangements of the International
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation
Cooperation. It has also concluded a bilateral Mutual Recognition Arrangement
with the multilateral agreement group of the European Cooperation for
Accreditation. As a result of these arrangements, the test and calibration
reports issued by HKAS-accredited laboratories are recognised by 46 other
accreditation bodies world-wide. |
