A glimpse into Brian Dixon’s visit to Pakistan

TUV Austria BIC. Pakistan: How does it feel to be in Lahore after a gap of 20 Years?

Brian Dixon: It feels exciting, a little strange but exciting. I think after 20 years, things change. One thing that doesn’t change is the friendship of the people you originally worked with 20 years ago. That makes it so much easier to come to Pakistan today, particularly with the ability to travel a lot easier now away from the past restrictions.

TUV Austria BIC. Pakistan: How important do you think are national accreditation bodies, and where do you see PNAC’s role in the future?

Brian Dixon: Every county has one accreditation body, and the national accreditation body for Pakistan is PNAC (Pakistan National Accreditation Council). I think the national accreditation body leaves them a member of IAF, which is the International Accreditation Forum, which is very important globally because it puts all national accreditation bodies on the same level. So it’s a very good situation for PNAC to be in. I think how Pakistan’s economy will develop internally and for exports gives them an excellent opportunity to develop further with many different international standards they can offer. So that companies like TUV. can become accredited and pass that accreditation on to our customers because with the IAF situation, it’s once accredited and accepted everywhere, and that’s on a global basis, so PNAC can only develop and go further from here.

TUV Austria BIC. Pakistan: Do you think certification is still as relevant as ten years ago?

Brian Dixon: I think it’s even more relevant today. Many companies provide certification, but the difference between those in TUV Austria BIC. Pakistan is an accredited one, which means we don’t act independently. We have rules and regulations that we have to follow, and we also have PNAC, who will come and audit us on an annual basis. So that gives greater confidence in our certification, so we must understand the difference between accredited and unaccredited certifications.

TUV Austria BIC. Pakistan: How important is training for companies considering embarking upon a certification journey?

Brian Dixon: I think its extremely important because when a company puts in a management system and gets it certified, they have to take ownership of that system, and so to understand how to take ownership, The training is particularly important, not just for internal auditing but also for the management of organizations to be able to understand what their responsibility is and also how to manage the control of the system.

TUV Austria BIC. Pakistan: 2022 marks a very special year for us here at TUV Austria Bureau of Inspection and Certification Pakistan as we complete 25 years in Pakistan. Would you like to say something on this occasion?

Mr. Brian Dixon: Certainly, I think, first of all, Congratulations! Twenty-five year is an outstanding achievement, and I think it shows the long-term effect of the certification in Pakistan. I think it shows confidence in clients that you know we will be around for a long time. So, I am glad to be here on this special occasion and hope it continues for many more years in the future.

TUV Austria BIC. Pakistan: Lastly, we would like to ask you another question not related to the certification business. What do you think of Pakistani food and Cuisine?

Brian Dixon: I think it’s really nice. The problem is that people in the United Kingdom get used to spice, and it’s either from India or China, but Pakistan gives a nice balance between the two. Yes, you can have spice, but it’s not always hot spice. I think the flavors of Pakistan are very, very good, and I’m looking forward to having enjoyable meals while I am here.