Minister Shala: Recognition contributes to economic development by reducing trade and business costs

Trade and Industry Minister Endrit Shala, on the occasion of World Accreditation Day, said that accreditation, but standardisation and metrology also contribute to economic development by reducing trade and business costs.

“World Accreditation Day stresses the role of accreditment in adding value to supply chains. Recognition, along with other pillars of quality infrastructure such as standardisation and metrology, is a widely accepted tool that contributes to economic development by reducing trade and business costs, enabling business integration into global supply chains and the establishment of confidence among partners in business”, said Minister Shala.

According to Minister Shala, economic development in general and development of quality infrastructure sectors in particular are among the main challenges facing Kosovo.

The education of these challenges is my priority during this governing mandate at the head of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. MTI is committed to building and developing an efficient, sustainable system and in line with good practices in building quality infrastructure and other sectors that have impacts on the economy. We are working on the right setting of the criteria and technical standards for products and services, defined in trade agreements and harmonised EU legislation, as well as the creation of adequate and competent mechanisms for their implementation. This will enable the establishment of competitiveness on the domestic and external market, the elimination of trade barriers, to ensure the protection of life and health of consumers, as well as to provide a safer environment by becoming integrated part of the international bodies”, said Minister Shala.

Shala made it known that the area of accreditation has been included as a key component in the Competition and Export Readiness Project, which is realised in co-operation with the World Bank and is worth 14.3m euros. He has added that it is intended to create the National Quality Centre.

“The campaign of accreditation is included as one of the main components in the competition and export preparedness project, which is realised in co-operation with the World Bank and is worth 14.3m euros. This project, in addition, is aimed at supporting the development and international recognition of the Quality Infrastructure in general, and accreditation in particular. With this aim we aim to create the National Quality Centre”, Shala said.

Shala has added that in fulfillment of obligations stemming from the SAA, they have worked on harmonising legislation with that of the European Union.

“In fulfillment of the obligations stemming from the 80th Article of the SAA, we have worked on harmonising Kosovo's legislation with that of the European Union, completing the legal infrastructure of accreditation, namely the drafting of four sublaws that are due to the Law of Discension. We also formed T ASS FORCU for co-ordinating legal and technical activities for membership in international accreditation, standardisation and metrology”, the minister said.

Shala has further cited steps they have taken in terms of facilities for businesses and consumer protection.

The “in terms of creating business facilities, in this case, for TVK operating in Kosovo, has been drafted the Measure Tracking Policy, with which certificates of calibration issued by AMC for mass, thermometer and volume are accepted. This enables TVK to perform calibration services for upper fields within Kosovo, faster, easier and cheaper. Under policies for improving quality infrastructure, with particular emphasis on consumer protection and safety, we have drafted the Law on Construction Products, which sets out the conditions and regulations for setting construction products” market.

The minister said that to ensure that Kosovo citizens receive quality medical services and reliable results, they have taken the initiative to make the accreditation of medical labs mandatory.

“Accreditation of these labs means that the labs have been subjected to a rigorous process of assessing the requirements of meeting standards, technical competence of staff and the use of appropriate equipment”, Shala said.