FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2006-02-23

SCC Takes Part in CIDA Canada-Costa Rica Development Fund

OTTAWA – The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is taking a leading role in the Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) Canada-Costa Rica Competitiveness Development Fund. The SCC is helping small and medium-sized business throughout Costa Rica to export their products and services by helping create more efficient standards and regulatory systems.

“Many developing countries are interested in trade but they experience difficulties because they lack the appropriate infrastructure to ensure their products and services meet international trade rules,” Begonia Lojk, manager of Standards Governance at the SCC. “The SCC offers technical support to countries, such as Costa Rica, for the development of standards and conformity assessment procedures that help them ensure their products and services are accepted abroad.”

The Standards Council is taking part in the fund by working with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Economy, Industry and Trade and members of Costa Rica’s National Quality System. Together, the partnership will work towards improving the efficiency of the Costa Rica’s standards and regulatory systems.

The fund is the last initiative of the Costa Rica – Bilateral Programming Plan. It will help to build a modern and efficient private sector by transferring Canadian knowledge and expertise to partner organizations in Costa Rica. CIDA contributed $2.6 million to the fund which will help Canadian organizations, like the SCC, carry out their projects.

CIDA is a federal government agency that coordinates assistance initiatives in developing countries. For additional information, on CIDA visit www.acdi-cida.gc.ca.

The SCC is a Crown corporation with the mandate to promote efficient and effective voluntary standardization. For more information on its programs in developing countries, visit www.scc.ca or e-mail [email protected].

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