National accreditation body seeks global recognition

National accreditation body seeks global recognition

JAKARTA (JP): The National Accreditation Committee (KAN) is
seeking global recognition by joining mutual recognition
arrangements (MRA) with international accreditation bodies, its
chairman said on Wednesday.

Currently evaluating KAN to join MRA is the Asia Pacific
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), from which the
committee expects its first international evaluation in February.

"Receiving global recognition is important to assure that our
own evaluations comply with international standards," KAN
chairman Herudi Kartowisastro said during a discussion on
standardization at the Mangala Wanabakti building in Central
Jakarta.

"A MRA certificate from APLAC will enable KAN to conduct its
own laboratory tests for examinations that require recognition
from countries in the Asia Pacific region," Herudi said.

KAN is part of the National Standardization Board (BSN), which
formulates national policies on standardization.

BSN's director of standardization Bambang Supriyo Utomo said
that APLAC's certificate would lower the costs of laboratory
tests which required Asia-Pacific recognition.

"At present, we either bring foreign specialists to Indonesia
or have the tests conducted abroad," Bambang said.

So far APLAC has 18 members, of which Singapore, the USA,
Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan have joined APLAC's MRA.

According to Bambang, KAN will strive to receive wider
recognition from the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) by
2001.

Evaluations, he explained, would be based on KAN's consistency
in applying standardization guidelines such as IEC Guide 61
issued by the International Standardization Organization (ISO)

KAN was established in January this year to conduct
accreditation in various fields, including other national
accreditation institutions issuing ISO certificates.

KAN's certificates are valid for three years during which it
conducts regularly surveys on the accredited institutions.

Bambang said companies are not required to use KAN accredited
institutions if their own accreditation works are already
internationally recognized.

Last August, PT Mutu Agung Lestari (MAL), which issues
standard certification, received an accreditation from the United
Kingdom Accreditation Services for its ISO 9000 certificates.

KAN, on the other hand, has accredited 11 private and two
state owned institutions that issue quality control certificates,
as well as two institutions issuing certificates on environmental
management.

The 11 private institutions are Agro-Based Industry Quality
Assurance (ABIQA), B4T-Quality System Certification (B4T-QSC),
BBK-Quality Assurance Certification Scheme (BBK-QACS), Balai
Industri Semarang Quality Assurance (BISQA), Textile Industry
Quality Assurance (TIQA-BBT), BBKKP-Quality System Certification
(BBKKP-QSC), Balai Penelitian Tekstil Jakarta-Industrial Quality
Assurance Certification (BPTJ-IQAC) and PT SGS Indonesia.

The two state-owned institutions are PT PLN Jasa Teknik
Kelistrikan Quality System Certification (PT PLN JTK-QSC) and PT
Biro Klarifikasi Indonesia (PT BKI).

The two accredited institutions issuing environmental
management certificates are Sucofindo-International Certification
Services (Sucofindo-ICS) and Mutu Agung Lestari Environmental
System Certification (MAL-ECO). (03)