More companies seeking SLS certification

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

There is an increasing trend in obtaining Sri Lanka Standard Institute (SLSI) certifications among local and foreign companies.

"This is an encouraging trend as many companies seek to certify final product under the product certification scheme which is called SLS marked scheme.

A number of different sectors have being certified such as cement, asbestos, food and chemicals," Sri Lanka Standards Institute Director General Dr Lalith Senaweera told Daily News Business.

Overall 435 applied to obtain SLS Marked certification and the demand is growing.

The SLSI not only serves Sri Lankan companies, but covers overseas companies too to assure quality of products. Companies from China, India, UAE, Singapore and Malaysia are among those certified. This process will be expanded to accommodate more foreign companies as this would ensure tremendous improvement in the quality of products coming into the country.

"We also focus on small-scale industries as most of them are unable to obtain SLS certification.

The SLSI has introduced Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certification as a stepping stone.

This certification deals with basic infrastructure improvement and 57 companies have obtained this certification so far with 160 companies awaiting certification," Dr Senaweera said.

The SLSI have clustered certain areas and conduct basic awareness programs through Vidatha centres to improve quality of products.