Publication Details
Abstract
The product conformity declaration by business entities is an important tool to ensure compliance with technical regulations and legal requirements of the domestic market, which is used to verify product quality and safety independently by businesses. The drift of regulation from a certification-based system to a declaration-based system may pave the ground for many opportunities for businesses which can relieve them of financial stress, administrative cost and complexity regarding compliance. Such changes are encouraged by the institutional reforms in Uzbekistan where the main focus is to update product conformity assessments in line with international practices. Though past literature reveals how crucial these types of conformity assessment systems are, little has researched how changing these systems from certificate to declaration based with certain features could affect developing markets and their forms of certificates such as Uzbekistan form of thought regulation. This paper investigates the benefits, economic and legal bases, and essential elements of the replacement of certification-based systems with a declaration-based system of product conformity, focusing on the benefits to governmental authorities, certification bodies, and inspection companies. The paper concludes the declaration-based system "amplifies economic efficiency, relieves cost burdens on businesses and regulatory complexity, thus better facilitating new product market entry." This study offers new knowledge about the nature of the self-declaration transition, its potential to create competitive advantages, improve consumer confidence and help align product confirmity assessment to global practices. The results indicate that the continued introduction of advantage declaration systems will enable domestic manufacturers to become more competitive, boost export opportunities while bringing the Uzbek market in line with global standards with both sides benefiting from the six referenda sharing best practices.