RIYADH, 26 February — A high-level experts committee comprising members from the ministries of commerce, interior and communications as well as Saudi Arabian Standards Organization has been set up to examine the defects, if any, of vehicles imported into the Kingdom.
This was announced at a press conference here last night by Minister of Commerce Dr. Osama Faqeeh at the end of the annual meeting of the board of directors of SASO.
Dr. Faqeeh chaired the board meeting which was attended by senior officials from various ministries and government departments. Dr. Khaled Yousef Al-Khalaf, director-general of SASO, was also present.
Asked about measures taken by the government following reports that 16,000 Mercedes cars had been withdrawn from the US market, the minister said the newly constituted experts committee would check not only Mercedes cars but also all other vehicles. "The agents dealing in their sales will be held responsible for correcting the defects before their delivery to the customer," he said.
The minister added that the car manufacturer would have to inform the local agent about the defect within five days after detection. "In case of default, the products of the company will be denied conformity certificate before shipment," he declared. Dr. Faqeeh cited the case of a particular brand of tire, which had been under ban for a long time.
The minister said two new laboratories costing a total of SR30 million would be set up by SASO in Jeddah and Dammam. These labs, equipped with all facilities, will come up according to the specific time schedule.
The SASO labs, he pointed out, are different from those of the Ministry of Commerce. They not only check the products but also undertake studies designed to formulate new standards.
Dr. Faqeeh said the board meeting approved GCC standards as well as 56 new Saudi standards relating to ultra-sensitive home appliances, electronic gadgets and mechanical equipment. The objective of these standards is to safeguard human life and prevent accidents. He said some standards had been amended to bring them in line with new developments.
SASO has been elected for the third time as a member of the board of directors of the London-based International Standards Organization, the minister said.
"This proves their continued trust in the efficiency of SASO. Moreover, it will enable SASO to provide valuable input into ISO's decision-making process," he said, adding that such contributions will be in the interest of the Saudi economy. Also, ISO membership will help SASO in improving its own standards.
In response to a question on counterfeit products flooding the local market, the minister assured consumers that steps were being taken to curb the phenomenon. Spelling out SASO's inspection regime, he said all products bound for the Saudi market had to obtain a conformity certificate prior to shipment.
The second line of defense starts at the entry points in the Kingdom, where they again go through a comprehensive test. According to the Anti-Counterfeit Awareness Committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, fake products have been costing the Saudi economy SR1 billion annually in lost revenues.
