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Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen (right) appoints Attorney at Law Namal Rajapaksa as the new Chairman of Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLABCA) under Minister Bathiudeen on 18 March
The new team-lead of Sri Lanka’s foremost global accreditation agency guarding its exports in international markets is a Defence Attorney cum former Presidential candidate – and he wants a stronger global trade role for his institution, as revealed on 18 March. “SLAB is playing an important role in safeguarding Sri Lankan exports in overseas markets by its third party accreditations. It is time to strengthen SLAB’s role in international trade,” said new Chairman of Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLABCA) and Attorney at Law Namal Rajapaksa.
The new SLABCA Chairman Rajapaksa was addressing Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka Rishad Bathiudeen upon receiving his appointment as the Chairman of SLABCA under Minister Bathiudeen.
SLABCA plays a silent but crucial role of safeguarding Sri Lankan exports in global markets through its third party accreditations. Even Sri Lanka Standards Institution labs are accredited by SLABCA. Its third party endorsements for exports play a leading role in removing technical barriers in international trade for keen Lankan exports. SLABCA is accredited by International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAB), in New South Wales, Australia.
SLAB is a signatory of International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation Mutual Recognition Agreement (ILACMRA). It also accredits many other domestic and international certification agencies – 50 Lankan labs, of which 20 are of private healthcare providers and private hospitals of Sri Lanka. Among its international clients are such countries as China (Shanghai Electrical Testing Labs), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh based Amusement Park Inspection Body), and India (Quality Management System Certification Body – QMSC).
“I am a product of Ananda College and enrolled as an Attorney at Law in 2002. Worked as an Excise Inspector and now have my own businesses. With President’s Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty and many other lawyers, I also defended Sri Lanka’s first Field Marshal to be Sarath Fonseka in the ‘White Flag’ case,” said the new Chairman Rajapaksa, and added: “I contested the recently held Presidential Elections as a candidate and polled more than 15,800 votes! As a human rights activist, I formed the Siyane People’s Movement (Siyane Jalaya Surekeemey Sanwidanaya) which filed FR cases in the Rathupaswala people’s power protests of 2013 December.
“Nowadays I have given up being a human rights activist and am focused on fulfilling the main objectives of SLAB. With its 300 filed staff and inspectors, SLAB is playing an important role in safeguarding Sri Lankan exports in overseas markets using its third party accreditations. It is time to further strengthen SLAB so that we can better face the global competition.”
Minister Bathiudeen, speaking to the new SLABCA Chairman Rajapaksa said: “We came to this Government on a pledge of good governance and I appoint you as per the vision of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. SLAB plays an important role in our private medical sector as well as in export certifications. I need results, and look forward to weekly performance reports from you.”
Chairman Rajapaksa was appointed by Minister Bathiudeen in terms of S. 5.1-A and 6-1.A of the SL Accreditation Board and Conformity Assessment Act 32 of 2005.
