HKQAA Issued its First ISO 9001:2000 Certificate "Quality is like a marathon. It involves a lot of hard work day after day and you can never stop. " In order to reflect modern management approaches and to improve organizational practices, the year 2000 revisions of the ISO 9000 series of quality management standards were officially released by ISO on 15 December 2000. On the same day, Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) issued its first ISO 9001:2000 certificate to the Operations Division of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTR Corporation). Presenting the certificate to MTR Corporation was Mr. Howie Ng, Chief Executive of HKQAA. Also attending the presentation ceremony was Dr. Nigel Croft, Task Group Leader of ISO Technical Committee TC176 from the U.K. who has conducted a number of workshops and seminars on the subject in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. HKQAA has been tracking the development of the ISO 9000 year 2000 revisions in the last few years. The Agency is proud to have established a strong network of connection on the topic worldwide and has always been in the forefront of the development. Together with the other Asian Certification Bodies in Japan (JQA), Korea (KFQ) and Singapore (PSB) and with the advise from Dr. Nigel Croft, the team has developed an Interpretation Guide to help organizations to establish a thorough understanding of the standard. "The certification is continuous proof of our determination in pursuing international standards of excellence," said Mr. Phil Gaffney, Operations Director of MTR Corporation during the presentation ceremony. In closing the ceremony, Mr. Martin Brown, Head of Operations of MTR Corporation emphasized that "Quality is like a marathon. It involves a lot of hard work day after day and you can never stop. " By going through the certification process, commitment from top management is further strengthened and co-operation among departments is also improved, producing greater synergy in enhancing organizational effectiveness and responsiveness in customer needs.

Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA), a non-profit organization, was established by the Hong Kong Government in 1989 to assist industry and commerce in the development of management systems. Today, HKQAA is one of the leading third party certification bodies on ISO 9000 Quality Management System and ISO14001 Environmental Management System certification in Hong Kong and Mainland China, offering its customers professionalism, integrity and value-added services. Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency Mrs Angela Lock Controller Business Development Division Tel: (852) 2202 9316 Fax: (852) 2202 9222 Email: alock@hkqaa.org The Mass Transit Railway Corporation, established in 1975 by the Hong Kong Government with principle business of mass transit railway system operation, is currently operating a railway network of 82.2 kilometers route with 44 stations in Hong Kong. With a daily patronage of over 2.2 million passengers, its system is one of the most intensively utilized systems in the world.

Mr. Howie Ng, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (left) and Mr. Phil Gaffney Director of MTR Corporation (right) at the certificate presentation ceremony on 15 December 2000.