Himalaya Airlines becomes the first airline in Nepal to get quality certification

Himalaya Airlines, a Nepal-China-Joint Venture, has become the first airline in Nepal to successfully achieve ISO 9001-2015 QMS certification.

The airline has received the certificate on December 29, 2021 in recognition of the organisation’s Quality Management System (QMS), which complies with ISO 9001- 2015, according to a press note issued by the company today. "The airlines earned the ISO certificate for 'Providing Air Transport for Traveling Passengers and Freight, including Aviation Related Training Services'," it reads.

Earlier to this, Himalaya had acquired its first ISO certification for Quality Management System of Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Services in August 2020, the company claimed, adding that ISO 9001:2015 is a globally recognised quality management standard developed and published by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), which ensures that the products and services meet the needs of customers, through an effective quality management system. "ISO 9001:2015 certificate no 120057/A/0001/UK/En was issued to Himalaya Airlines by United Registrar of System and United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)."

Fulfilling meticulous documentation processes, Himalaya successfully completed the audit process, verifying that the company’s QMS satisfies all the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, it adds.

Congratulating the team for ISO certification, president of Himalaya Airlines Zhou Enyong said that it was a proud moment for Himalaya to receive ISO 9001-2015 certification and a noteworthy achievement of the team effort. "It is a continuing process for the company and we shall continue to optimize the standardization of work with due compliance at all levels," he added.

"This indeed is a remarkable accomplishment for team Himalaya," vice president of Himalaya Airlines Vijay Shrestha said, adding that with the collaborative efforts of the team to maintain high documentation standards companywide, H9 has been able to acquire this ISO certification. "This demonstrates Himalaya’s dedication for high performance work practices and is a significant confirmation of our ongoing commitment to quality."

Department of Passport receives ISO certification

The Department of Passport under the Foreign Ministry has become the first government agency to be accredited with the ISO standards.
The International Organisation for Standarisation has accredited the department with the ISO 9001: 2015 certificate for being able to maintain international standards in the preparation, certification and distribution of passports.
Unveiling the ‘ISO 9001:2015’ certificate at a programme held at the department today, deputy prime minister and foreign minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara said that it was a matter of pride that the department was the first government agency to be honoured with the ISO certification.
Stating that the certification was a result of the dedication, efficiency and awareness of quality service of the department employees, Mahara directed the employees to work with a goal to maintain the achievement, and attain higher goals. "The government must work hard as it has to be prepared to issue e-passports,” he said.
Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, on the occasion, said the accreditation was a result of increased transparency, professionalism and effectiveness, and expressed the hope that the feat would inspire other government agencies.
National Bureau of Standards and Metrology director general Biswababu Pudasaini lauded the department for the achievement, while calling for continued action to maintain it.

Deurali Janta Pharmaceuticals to manufacture medicines of gastrointestinal and liver diseases

Deurali Janta Pharmaceuticals has added a new division to manufacture medicines of gastrointestinal and liver diseases at an affordable price for patients.
"The company has created a separate division under the name ‘Divyam’ to manufacture medicines of gastrointestinal and liver diseases from next month," executive director of the pharmaceutical company Hari Bhakta Sharma, said speaking at a programme organised to mark the Silver Jubilee Year of the company’s establishment today in the capital.
We are preparing to manufacture and make available new medicines of gastrointestinal and liver diseases at an affordable price, he said, adding that the company’s initiative is expected to bring down import of similar medicines.
The company has allocated a budget of Rs 100 million for the new division. "The company will invest Rs 100 million in Divyam while Rs 500 million will be put in the production of injectable medicines," he informed.
The company will also work on upgrading to newer technologies to ensure quality products also to cater to international markets,” he said, adding that the company also plans to export the new drugs. "The company planned to invest big in these three segments as part of its plan to diversify its products."
The WHO-GMP and ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified company, currently manufactures 300 types of drugs from its five production plants. The company's investment has increased to Rs 1.20 billion from Rs 5 million, according to Sharma.
Deurali Janta Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd (DJPL) holds a 4.7 per cent share in the domestic market that is estimated at Rs 27 billion and growing at an annual rate of 12 percent, the company claimed.
A total of 355 companies have been selling their products in the local market, in which Nepali products hold 40 percent market share, according to the Department of Drugs.
The domestic market is facing tough competition from foreign drug makers, apart from shortage of fuel – due to Indian blockade – and raw materials that have pulled the production down to just 55 per cent capacities.
"Our production capacity has come down to 33 per cent, while transactions have dropped by 50 per cent,” Sharma added.

Nepal Standard certification to be internationally recognised soon

Nepal Standards (NS) certification is going to receive international recognition.

Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology issued certification for the domestic products is soon getting international recognition, said the bureau's director general Ram Adhar Sah, here today.

Speaking at a programme today, he said that domestic products bearing the NS mark will be eligible for export. "The bureau is waiting for the final approval for the NS certification from the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies, India. "The Indian accreditation bodies had recently conducted a final assessment and approved the capacity of our laboratories, investigating mechanism and human resources that are used to assess the products before awarding them the standard certification.

The Indian board is set to provide international recognition to the NS certification that has been awarded to Nepali instant noodles, GI wire, GI pipe, cement and bottled water. The bureau itself has recently received accreditation for its laboratories used to test the quality of these products.

The bureau has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian board to provide the necessary support. According to him, Pacific Accreditation Corporation – an association of accreditation bodies of certification – has been supporting capacity building at the bureau.

"The bureau – that is being promoted as the National Accreditation Focal Point in the country – has been approved for testing 28 parameters of these products by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories," he added.

As the bureau has received accreditation to issue ISO 9001:2008, a quality certification from the Indian board – issues the NS mark that is the quality assurance of domestic products. It has been issuing the NS logo to products that meet the standards related to manufacturing procedures and product quality besides the necessary compliance for physical security. The government has made it mandatory to obtain the NS logo for 12 products including dry cell, LPG regulator and valve, gas cylinder, PVC cable, GI wire, GI sheet, iron rod and cement.

But the bureau is working on getting international recognition for its laboratories used to test cement, textile, volume and temperature by the end of this fiscal year.

Companies awarded for better quality

KATHMANDU: Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology has honoured five companies with the NS Quality Award for the fiscal year 2012-13. Trade secretary awarded Asian Paints of Hetauda for its enamel paints, while Panchakanya Plastic of Bhairahawa has been honoured for its HDPE pipe and Pashupati Filter Candle Udyog for its LPG regulator in the categories of medium and small-scale factories, respectively for their outstanding quality. Similarly, Panchakanya Plastic Industries and Nepal Cylinder Industries received letters of appreciation too.

Nepal gets full ISO membership

After two decades of being a correspondent member, Nepal has finally received full membership of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) that will give Nepal right to issue quality certifications.

The country can now issue quality cetification like ISO 26000 and ISO
14000, according to the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM).

These certificates issued to companies on safety measures of consumer goods and road, respectively.

The 36th general assembly of the ISO on September 16-21 in St Petersburg, Russia, approved Nepal’s membership, informed the bureau.

Nepal’s membership will come into effect from January 1, 2014, the bureau director general Ram Aadhar Sah said, adding that the full ISO membership has paved the way for Nepal to formulate standards as guided by the ISO and issue the certifications.

“Domestic companies need not ask foreign agencies to get international certification from now on,” he added.

Though the full membership costs the county an additional Rs 2.6 million for the membership renewal, it would help encourage the quality production in the country apart from ensuing the consumer rights to quality products for the price they pay, but the law needs to be strengthened and harmonisation.

Nepal can now also take part actively in the preparation of specifications and standardisation activities at the international level. It will also have voting right in such activities, the bureau said, adding that it can use the ISO logo and issue standards to interested companies.

Earlier, the bureau had been issuing only the ISO 9001, a certification for quality management system after receiving approval from the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies, India.

Now the bureau can explore other areas from among 20,000 ISO standards.

The International Organisation for Standardisation has 162 members, including  114 full members. Including Nepal, the South Asia has India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as full members of International Organisation for Standardisation, whereas Bhutan and Afghanistan are only correspondent members.

The bureau had formulated some 950 standards in compliance to international standard. But only less than a quarter to some 200 standards have been implemented, though 12 standards are mandatory for products like paints, edibles, gas cylinder and regulators.

Nepal fails to exploit agro potential

Though Nepal is an agricultural country, it has failed to fully exploit its potential due to the absence of standardisation, according to experts.

"Nepal has the possibility to take advantage through bio-energy standards to fully utilise its agriculture potential," said director general of Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology Dr Ram Adhar Sah, addressing a three-day standardisation workshop on 'Strengthening institutional capacity on sustainability criteria for bio-energy' that started here in the capital today.

Likewise, executive chairman of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) Dr Posh Raj Pandey said that the initial euphoria among policy makers and private sector representatives about the role of bio-energy in mitigating climate change is being questioned now since the use of bio-energy is not necessarily carbon neutral, if looked at from a life-cycle perspective.

"Extensive promotion of bio-energy could also have environmental effects like destruction of biodiversity and soil erosion, and social impacts like exploitation of small farmers or their displacement to produce bio-energy impacts," he said.

Pandey added that there are also concerns that there will be competition on whether to use land to produce food or bio-energy, which, therefore, will have serious implications for food security. "Hence, it is important for developing and least-developed countries to actively engage in setting standards on sustainability criteria for bio-energy."

International trade of bio-energy has been taking place gradually, and developing countries are more competitive in the production and trade of bio-energy due to adequate natural resources and low cost of production, Pandey said. "If their concerns are not reflected in the standards that are being set, they might face trade barriers later."

Speaking as chief guest, secretary at the ministry of industry Krishna Gyawali informed that the government has prepared a climate change policy. "Bio-energy is a crucial aspect of climate change and it is extremely important for the country to engage in such a standard-setting process," he said, emphasising that by actively participating in the standard-setting process, Nepal will be able to optimise the use of its resources.

The workshop is part of a longer project 'Trade promotion through standardisation' being implemented jointly by SAWTEE and the Swedish Standards Institute (SIS), with support from the Swedish International Development Agency in eight countries of the South and Southeast Asia regions, namely, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

The workshop is being organised against the backdrop of the setting of a new standard on the sustainability criteria for bioenergy by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).

International project manager of SIS Carina Svensson introduced the workshop to the participants and explained what was expected of them.

Over the next three days, participants will work on the draft of ISO standard on sustainability criteria for bioenergy with support from experts working in this area, and send their comments to ISO.