Afghanistan National Standards Authority (ANSA)

Serving as the nation’s primary regulatory body established in 2004 to develop and maintain essential technical standards and testing regulations, the Afghanistan National Standards Authority (ANSA) collaborates closely with us at the Society of Afghan Engineers through strategic partnerships and memorandums of understanding to modernize building codes, enhance quality infrastructure, and deliver critical professional capacity-building programs.

Visit Afghanistan National Standards Authority (ANSA) website

Background

Established by a presidential decree in 2004, the Afghanistan National Standards Authority (ANSA) serves as the primary body responsible for developing and maintaining Afghan national standards, technical regulations, and metrology functions. Operating originally under the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, ANSA oversees the adoption of construction codes and standards, the testing and certification of products, and the facilitation of trade through technical standardization.

To date, the agency has successfully established hundreds of standards for materials testing and developed critical national design codes, including the Afghan Structural Code, the Afghan Bridge Design Code, the Energy Efficient Code for Buildings, and the Afghan Highway and Street Geometric Design Code. As a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of Afghanistan’s infrastructure, we at the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE) view ANSA as a crucial and indispensable partner. ANSA is specifically designated as one of our focal government agencies for technical collaboration, capacity building, and long-term strategic support.

Collaborative Framework and Memorandum of Understanding

To structure and maximize the impact of our partnership, our leadership has actively engaged with ANSA officials to formalize our technical cooperation. In June 2021, the Chairperson of our Afghan Government Agencies (AGA) Liaison Subcommittee met with ANSA’s Director in Kabul to discuss enhancing the quality of ANSA’s work through our direct engagement and the expertise of our diaspora engineers. We agreed to pursue a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on several key areas of collaboration:

  1. Developing and Adopting Codes and Standards: We intend to collaborate on developing both compulsory and non-enforceable standards, including complementary electrical, mechanical, and plumbing codes.
  2. Reviewing Existing Standards: Our subject-matter experts will assist in reviewing currently active codes and standards, offering professional recommendations for necessary changes and updates to ensure they meet modern demands.
  3. Capacity Development and Training: We are committed to identifying vital training subjects and delivering relevant educational programs to Afghan professionals, either through our established online tele-education platforms or in-person sessions.
  4. Targeted Support: We plan to collaborate in other identified areas to actively support ANSA’s specific objectives and enhance the overall delivery of engineering services in the country.

Advancing the Afghan Building Code

Our commitment to developing a comprehensive Afghan Building Code spans decades, with our initial efforts taking root during a Kabul conference in 2003, where a joint building code committee was originally formed. When SAE member Mohammad Azim Alozai was appointed as the Head of ANSA’s Afghanistan Building Code Development Department in 2013, our leadership immediately extended offers of technical assistance and professional contributions to support the code’s development.

Our Building Code Subcommittee engaged directly with ANSA to discuss the translation and implementation of the Afghan Building Code. Because the national code is highly comparable to the International Building Code (IBC), we recognized that successful adoption requires continuous education; therefore, we remain dedicated to assisting ANSA and local professionals in understanding and applying these complex technical guidelines correctly in the field.

Bridging Global Expertise with Local Needs

In addition to our direct technical support, we strive to connect ANSA with leading international standardization bodies to build a robust quality infrastructure. A prime example is our role in highlighting the relationship between ANSA and ASTM International. In 2005, an MoU was signed between ANSA and ASTM, granting Afghanistan free access to a library of over 12,000 ASTM standards.

Through our professional networks and the SAE eNewsletter, we have proudly showcased this relationship, noting that ANSA has since adopted hundreds of ASTM test methods for construction materials, petroleum, and chemicals as official Afghan national standards. By facilitating these international connections and offering our vast pool of engineering talent, we continue to support ANSA in laying the foundation for a resilient, transparent, and internationally respected quality infrastructure in Afghanistan.