THE ISO 9003 requirement imposed on China's exporting toy makers will not promote quality management, according to the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA).
From July 1 next year all mainland exporting toy makers must obtain a quality approval licence based on a set of standards similar to ISO 9003 - the category in the ISO 9000 series that deals with inspection and testing procedures.
''That can't really be effective,'' said HKQAA chief executive Lionel Wood, as the standards were not appropriate for manufacturers limited to just a part of an overall process.
He said ISO 9002 would be the right standard for non-designing manufacturers to follow, and ISO 9001 for design operations.
Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises seem to be awakening to the importance of the ISO 9000 certification as they face increasing market competition.
Shenzhen Asia Bicycles, a China-controlled joint venture, has become the first mainland-based company to obtain an IS0 9000 certification from the HKQAA.
