KATHMANDU: Asian Paints (Nepal) Pvt Ltd won the Nepal Standard (NS) quality award 2009 for its quality paints. Minister for industry Mahendra Prasad Yadav handed over the award to Soumitra Roy, general manager of the company amid a function that was organised to mark 40th World Standards Day at Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM) office premises here today.

"Nepal can not prosper without industrialisation and following strict norms of standards," Yadav said adding that without maintaining standards, Nepali products can not compete with foreign products," he said. "So, we must concentrate on maintaining quality."

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) president Kush Kumar Joshi urged the government to strengthen the NBSM for the growth of industrial sector. "If we can not enhance capacity of NBSM industrial development is not possible," he said. Hulas Wire industry Ltd and Jagdamba Steels Pvt Ltd received letter of appreciation for their effort in producing quality wires and steels respectively.

Hulas Wire Industry Ltd received NS quality award in 2006.