The Maldives Meteorological Service (MET Office) have earned the ISO 2008-9001 certificate for quality management under the ICAO Annex 3 international standards.
The certificate was awarded to the MET Office on the fifth of this month.
Speaking with journalists after receiving the certificate, Environment Minister Thoriq Ibrahim said that it had been an expensive effort to upgrade the MET Office management system to these high standards, along with the training of employees to relevant levels. He also informed that the relevant plans and guidelines for this were compiled under the guidance of the World Meteorological Organisation.
The Minister said that to establish a quality management system, the equipment used to gather data for the MET Office had to be tested, older equipment had to be renewed and that extra equipment had to be brought in as well.
A special audit will conducted twice yearly at the companies which have received the ISO 2008-9001 to see if the management of the company remains at the top standard. The certificate will be withdrawn from companies which score under 75% on any of these audits.
"Our current top priority is to maintain this certificate. This will be a costly procedure. Employees standard must be raised constantly and their training must be conducted as well," the Minister said.
While the management of the MET Office has risen up to international standards, this will be most beneficial to those who travel by air, says the Minister. He also informed that this certificate assures the accuracy of the reports delivered by the MET Office.
The MET Office has also recently established a radar in the airport to monitor weather, to further increase the accuracy of their findings.
