GCC standard seal must for toys and electrical goods from June
The GCC Conformity Marking will soon be made mandatory for toys and various electrical goods imported into Qatar, a senior official of the Ministry of Environment said yesterday.
“Beginning June 1 this year, all imported toys must carry the GCC Conformity Marking. Consignments that fail to meet this requirement will not be cleared by the customs authorities,” said Dr Mohamed bin Saif Al Kuwari, Director General of Laboratories and Standardisation at the ministry.
This requirement will be applied to other products, including elevators, hair dryers, exhaust fans, electric irons, sockets and cables, at a later stage, he added.
The GCC Conformity Marking introduced by the GCC Standardisation Organisation (GSO) is not a quality mark, but rather a marking that signifies the conformity of the product to essential health, safety and environmental standards.
According to the GSO, the conformity marking will be compulsory for products that come under the GCC Technical Regulations. Priority has been given to regulations pertaining to toys and low-voltage devices.
“All the toys being imported into the country must comply with the ISO/IEC international standards. The GCC Conformity Marking has been made an additional requirement to ensure that the Qatari market is free from dangerous and contaminated toys,” said the official.
The GCC Conformity Marking should be affixed by the manufacturers or their agents or legal representatives in the GCC markets.
“We are in the process of framing new standards and specifications for various products, especially electrical devices, in conformity with international standards. We hope the Qatari market will be free from all low-quality products that pose a threat to health and safety, in the near future,” said Al Kuwari.
He said a specialised laboratory for testing toys was getting ready in the premises of the Laboratories and Standardisation Department in Abu Hamour.
“The facility is expected to be ready in three months. We are currently providing training to the staff being appointed at the laboratory,” he added.
Source ::: THE PENINSULA |
