SASO cancels 11 licenses to use the Quality Mark due to non-compliance of factories comply with requirements
SASO canceled 11 licenses to use the Quality Mark due to failure to comply with the requirements of the technical regulation for the Saudi Quality Mark, failure to implement procedures to renew the license to use the Quality Mark or production stoppage or upon the factory's request. This happened after SASO's auditors conducted field visits to factories which obtained the Mark , in order to ensure compliance with the requirements of the technical regulation.
Furthermore, SASO received commercial fraud reports regarding the Quality Mark through "Verify" (Ta'akad) application which reached (2.779) commercial fraud reports. In addition, (18) Cases of forgery or violation in the use of the Quality Mark were recorded through the fraud-monitoring unit at SASO.
In its annual report for the fiscal year 1438-1439 AH (2017), SASO clarified that the number of factories licensed to use the Saudi Quality Mark on their products reached (303) factories, (115) of which are new applications that were granted the license to use the Quality Mark during 2017, in addition to (280) requests that are under study, stressing that licensing processes and renewing Saudi Quality Mark licenses are subject to documented procedures of inspecting and auditing factories and controlling their quality, withdrawing sample products and testing them, in addition to providing technical advice to these factories in the field of quality control and improvement.
SASO affirmed its keenness to improve the quality of goods and products to maintain the health and safety of the consumer by licensing establishments that meet the requirements of the general technical regulation for the Saudi Quality Mark to use the mark on their products. SASO noted that when a product obtains the Quality Mark this reflects the conformity of the product to the approved Saudi standards, in addition to achieving quality control standards during manufacture. Thus, the system of obtaining the Quality Mark achieves the interest of all relevant parties (producer, consumer and trader), promotes consumer protection, and provides greater competitiveness for products that obtained the Mark.
SASO has announced the opening of the field for qualified conformity assessment bodies to enter the process of granting the Saudi Quality Mark, in accordance with approved registration and authorization systems and with the best international practices in this field. A partial authorization agreement was signed to provide conformity assessment services to grant licenses to use the Saudi Quality Mark with (3) conformity assessment companies. SASO expressed its hope that these steps would achieve - God willing - the targeted spread of the Saudi Quality Mark and maximize the benefit of the expected demand.