On October 27 and 28, 2005, the Directorate of the Standard and Quality of Vietnam organised in Hanoi a conference to review the first quality decade with the participation of leaders of ministries and agencies, localities and enterprises nationwide. At the same time, the conference launched the second quality decade for the 2006-2015 period.
The first Vietnamese quality conference was held in August, 1995, in which the first Vietnamese quality decade, 1996-2005, was launched by former president Nguyen Thi Binh. Since then, Vietnam’s quality movement has seen significant progress. Quality activities have been boosted, making a contribution the country’s economic development and the improvement of competitiveness of local enterprises.
So far, five conferences on quality have been organised with different themes. This year’s conference has an important meaning as it pointed out lessons and shortcomings of the implementation of the first quality decade apart from reviewing and evaluating the recorded achievements. More importantly, the conference identified orientations, tasks and targets for the coming decade.
Addressing the conference, Ngo Quy Viet, director of the Directorate of the Standard and Quality of Vietnam, highlighted the achievements recorded over the past decade in providing information and education, as well as training of the legal system on quality, which had been amended to provide Vietnamese enterprises with a quality management system, meeting the international standard. Viet said that over 400 enterprises had been granted with national and international certificates for their quality management systems. The directorate had recognised 90 laboratories in Vietnam and presented quality awards to 723 enterprises. The directorate had sent enterprises to the International Asia Pacific Quality Award, and 13 enterprises had won the award. At the same time, bar code activities have been implemented successfully. Thousands of Vietnamese enterprises have used the identification technology and many ministries and agencies have applied the bar code technology to their activities. As a result, the quality of Vietnamese goods has improved and Vietnamese goods have won high appreciation in the international market.
Viet went on to say that apart from achievements, some shortcomings remained. Concretely, the quality movement had not been popularised nationwide yet. The quality standard has yet to ensure the economic development. Enterprises had not exploited fully benefits of bar codes. The national measure standard remains weak. Also, enterprises’ awareness on quality remained poor.
Jose F.Gonzalea, president of the International Asia Pacific Quality Organisation, said that Vietnam could produce and supply any kind of goods and Vietnam may be able to become a strong economy thanks to its comparative advantages of low labour cost. However, he said that to gain higher investment effectiveness, Vietnam should meet the international quality management standard.
At the conference, some ministries and agencies reported measure and quality activities over the past decade and development orientations for the coming years. Representative from the Ministry of Fisheries, Dr Pham Van Thhá», said that over the past years, the Vietnamese fisheries service had seen a rapid development in aquaculture production and fishing output, seafood processing and export. So far, Vietnamese seafood has been exported to over 80 countries and territories in the world. To that end, apart from efforts to renew technology and expand markets, local seafood producers have paid careful attention to food hygiene and safety, which has become a top condition to improve their competitiveness in the international market.
During the conference, a presentation ceremony of the International Asia Pacific Quality Award (IAPQA) and Vietnamese Quality Award 2005 was organised. Among eight enterprises from six countries which won IAPQA, Vietnam had two enterprises, the Chinfon Cement Company in Haiphong and the Viet A Company in Hung Yen province.
Five enterprises won the gold quality prize in 2005. Also, the Vietnam Quality Awards 2005 were presented to 61 large-sized production enterprises, 44 small and medium-sized production enterprises, seven large-sized service enterprises and 15 small and medium-sized enterprises.
Nguyen Thoa
Vietnamese
