BEIJING, Sept. 22 -- Industrial associations should improve their work to win public trust, says a commentary in the Shenzhen-based Jingbao newspaper. An excerpt follows:

    The mooncake certificate signing (CS) has been promoted in Shenzhen for more than a decade as representing high quality, and is accepted by more and more consumers.

    But Jingbao reporters found out recently that the issuance of mooncake CS is not standardized. As long as it gets paid, the Shenzhen Consumer Goods Quality Promotion Association will issue the CS signs to anyone. Its behaviour has greatly damaged CS's public credibility.

    Certification without public trust is meaningless. This case compels industrial associations to think about the route of development with self-discipline.

    As the development of a market economy deepens, non-governmental industrial associations and intermediate organizations are playing a more and more important role in enhancing enterprise co-operation and protecting enterprises' rights. The government has been encouraging the development of industrial associations as well as the establishment of industrial standards and quality certification.

    So there will be more industrial certifications like the mooncake CS. When a box of mooncakes is labelled with various quality certification signs, we will of course think it a good thing that many organizations are making strict checks on quality.

    Such non-government certification is operated on a voluntary basis. A mooncake attracts consumers with its quality and taste, and enterprises volunteer to take the certification. The ability to win public trust and influence consumers' behaviour is the major factor for such certification in getting enterprises' participation.

    If it loses consumers' trust, the certification will lose its attraction to enterprises, too.

    The industrial associations should be supervised too. Besides supervision from enterprises and public opinion, governmental oversight is also needed. If fake certifications go rampant, the credibility construction of the whole society will be harmed.

    (Source: China Daily)