Toughen penalties under product quality law

December 22, 2017

Tokyo- Japan's industry ministry plans to toughen penalties against violations of the industrial standardization law, informed sources told Jiji Press on Thursday.

The move is part of a package of measures designed to prevent a repeat of the product quality scandals that have shaken the country's manufacturing sector.

The ministry aims to ensure that manufacturers comply with the law's Japanese Industrial Standards rules that certify the quality and performance of industrial products.

The ministry plans to submit revisions to the industrial standardization law to parliament early next year, the sources said.

Kobe Steel Ltd. has seen JIS certification canceled for several of its plants for their involvement in product quality data falsification.

Under the current law, people displaying the JIS mark on uncertified products are subject to a prison term of up to one year or a fine of up to one million yen. The ministry is considering beefing up the penalties.

The planned package also includes encouraging companies to develop systems that will allow suppliers and customers to automatically share data on the quality of materials and parts supplied.

The ministry plans to ask companies to utilize planned tax breaks on capital spending to develop secure data-sharing systems. Jiji Press