Our Policies

WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY PTY LTD is a business based in Western Australia with ABN 78 132 770 882.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) is the legal entity responsible for halal certification activities.

Quality will pervade WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA)’s technical, operational and service delivery process. Our quality service culture is characterized by client focus and continuous improvement in all we do.

The delivery of quality service shall be the focus of everyone at WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) As we achieve success in the long-term pursuit of quality, our people will strive to:

• Meet client needs and exceed client expectations
• Respond quickly and wisely to rapid changes in the business environment and changing client needs.
• Attract and retain clients by being best–in–class.

To ensure continuing success of the quality initiative, our leadership will:                                                                                

• Maintain an absolute, proactive and long-term commitment to client focussed, continuous service improvement.
• Understand the concepts, be familiar with the tools and encourage techniques that enable us to fully integrate client focussed continuous improvement in everything we do.
• Acceptance of accountability and responsibility for delivering our services correctly and professionally.
• Making every effort to follow all agreed customer, accreditation and statutory requirements
• Continual monitoring and reporting of our service quality and performance indicators
• Recognition of individuals in our organisation who demonstrate excellence or innovation in what they do.
• Act as role models for the quality values of WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA)
• WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) has formulated an Impartiality committee for ensuring strict adherence to laid down impartiality norms and for reviewing of the norms on a time-to-time basis.

Our quality objectives are to:

• Deliver services to our clients consistently, reliably, efficiently, on time and on budget
• Resolve client, employee and supplier queries promptly and in a friendly manner.
• Give our clients the utmost confidence in our capability and professionalism and in our ability to deliver the agreed services.

To achieve these objectives, we shall act to:

• Ensure high levels of peer review and management oversight in all operational aspects.
• Continually engage all stakeholders, especially clients and employees, in meaningful consultation and communication.
• Measure our performance and use this information for the continual improvement of our services and management system.
• Ensure ongoing professional development and learning at work

Our Quality Policy is applicable to all employees and to any person or organisation that represents us in the conduct of their activities for and on our behalf. It expresses the ongoing commitment by WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) Certification’s management and staff to understand, regularly review and continually implement these actions.

The President, Management, Staff and Subcontractors of WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) are fully committed to providing all our clients and potential clients with a service that fully meets their requirements.

The product certification process will ensure that all evaluation and certification decisions are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the relevant standard. In addition, WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) is fully committed to ensuring that it fully complies with all relevant standards and all requirements of any regulatory bodies.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) will ensure that a professional service will be offered to clients through the use of trained, experienced and competent evaluators and support staff.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) will continually seek to improve the services it offers and will do so through acting upon client’s feedback, regular internal and external evaluation, reviews of reports, and reviews of staff, management review meetings and management meetings.

Any client who feels dissatisfied with any aspect of the service provided by WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) is encouraged to put in writing their complaint which will be responded to promptly and thoroughly investigate.

Any client who disagrees with a Certification Decision has the right of appeal which will be put before an independent Appeals Panel, comprising individuals who are not employees of WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA)

In conducting certification activities WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) fully understands the importance of ensuring that the product certification process and all evaluation are conducted in an impartial manner and no conflict of interest exists. To this end checks have been introduced throughout the product certification process to identify any potential conflicts of interest and an independent Impartiality Committee has been established to oversee the operations of WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) and in particular the product certification process.

Staff and Sub contractor Requirements

All information received by or available to Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) staff, subcontractors or committee members (in whatever format) received in conducting evaluation activities, or during other certification activities, or during any dealings with an organisation for any other reason shall be regarded as strictly confidential and shall not be divulged to any 3^rd party (unless specified in ISO/IEC 17065:2012, GSO2055 or WAHA’s agreements or procedures) without the express permission of the organisation or individual concerned. The requirement to keep confidential any information will also include any organisation that has a legitimate right to evaluation or inspect Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA).

Where Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) is required by law to release confidential information to a third party the client or individual concerned shall, unless regulated by law, be notified in advance of the information provided.

However, where the organisation is seen to be operating contrary to legal requirements or has operating practices which pose a danger to staff, customers or the environment Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) reserves the right to immediately report any such incident to the relevant authority. Any such reporting will only be undertaken with the permission of a Managing Director.

Access to Records

All records will be retained in a secure manner, only accessible to authorised staff via either paper records or password controlled electronic records. Subcontractors will be limited to accessing information produced by them in conducting an evaluation. Records will only be made available to organisations who can demonstrate a legitimate (and legal) right to view those records and specifically to Accreditation Bodies.

Confidentiality Declarations

All staff, Subcontractors, Managing Director and Committee Members will be required to agree to Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) confidentiality policy and sign a confidentiality agreement. Subcontractors will also sign an agreement which also contains the responsibility to maintain confidentiality.

Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) in this Policy and Public Statement refers to these legal entities.

Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) its President, Staff and Subcontractors fully understands the importance of impartiality in undertaking its Certification activities. Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) will therefore ensure that in all its dealings with Clients Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) is the legal entity responsible for certification activities; reference to Western or potential Clients all employees or other personnel are and will remain impartial. To ensure that impartiality is both maintained and can be demonstrated the following principals have been established.

• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) Certificates are only issued following a review by an independent authorised and competent member of the management team (who has not been involved in the evaluation) to ensure that no interest shall predominate
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) does not offer (and has never offered) inspection and testing related to certification or any other form of consultancy to client.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) does not offer (and has never offered) an internal evaluation service to its certified clients.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) does not own or have any interest (financial or otherwise) in any other company that offers certification or inspection and testing related to certification services.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) does not have (and will not form) any relationships with companies who offer consultancy or inspection and testing or other services that can be construed as having an impact on the certification services provided by Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) Any proposed relationship between Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) and any other company will undergo a risk assessment by the Committee for Impartiality prior to that relationship being formalised. Any current relationships with companies, organisations and individuals will be risk assessed on a regular basis to ensure that the relationship does not impact upon the impartiality of the certification process.
• Individuals employed by or otherwise contracted to Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) are required to document and record their current and past relationships with all companies. Any situation past or present which may present a potential conflict of interest is required by Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) to be declared. Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) will use the information to identify any threats to impartiality and will not use that individual in any capacity unless they can demonstrate that there is no conflict of interest.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) will not allocate a member of staff or subcontractor to a management system evaluation where any past relationship has existed. Exceptionally and at the discretion of the Certification Manager or President an individual or subcontractor may be allocated to a management system evaluation where a past relationship has existed but there has been no relationship for a minimum of 2 years.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) does not and will not offer any commission, (‘finders fees or other inducements) to any individual or company in respect of referrals of Clients unless:

1. The terms and conditions of any such referral are clearly established and can be demonstrated and it can also be demonstrated that the fee is for a referral and the fact that a commission has been paid will in no way effect the outcome of an evaluation.
2. A risk assessment (to establish the potential for an unacceptable threat to impartiality) has been carried out on the process through which any such payment is made to an individual or organisation (Consultancy Organization) requesting the commission for referrals.
3. All such payments are documented, recorded, and traceable and accompanied by a purchase order and invoice.

• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) does not offer specific inspection and testing to any company in respect of implementing a particular standard for that company. Any inspection and testing offered by Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) is general in nature and available to all clients, who wish to attend.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) will ensure that it is not linked or marketed in any way which links it with the activities of an inspection and testing related to certification and will take appropriate action should any such link be identified.
• Assessors/Auditors and others involved in the certification process are not and will not be put under any pressure and will not be influenced in any way to come to a particular conclusion regarding the result of an evaluation.

Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA)’s Impartiality Norms:

• No outsourcing of Certification Audits to Consultancy Organization.
• No Referral Fees to be paid to Consultancy Organization.
• Facts based communication to Clients / Consultancy Organization.
• Adherence to all Accreditation and other Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA)
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not carry–out any other conflicting services other than its core business of Certification.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not employ any professional conflicting its ethical policies.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not allow any of its Assessors/Auditors to market the services and conduct the evaluations for the same client.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not allow any of its Assessors/Auditors to carry out financial transactions with Clients / Consultancy Organization.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not carry–out business with any Consultancy Organization inducing pressures to compromise impartiality.
• All employees of Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall disclose any situation impairing the business ethics.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not allow any of the Assessors/Auditors to carry out evaluations for the customer at least for 2 years from the date of relinquishment from their services for the client.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not allow any Assessors/Auditors to compromise on the evaluation timing as required as per the accreditation / Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA)
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not allow any Assessors/Auditors to conduct the evaluation for the customer for which it has not been approved for.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall maintain transparency with regard to all information.
• No Assessors/Auditors shall divulge any confidential information of the customer to any third party without written consent from the customer and approval by President
• No Assessors/Auditors shall carry any customer information with them after the usage period. All customer information shall be returned after usage.
• Utmost care / verification to be carried out for granting the right scope of certification.
• Any unethical practice observed should be notified to the management at the earliest.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not allow any of its Assessors/Auditors to accept any gifts from customer / Consultancy Organization of value greater than $30.
• Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) shall not allow any Assessors/Auditors to conduct evaluation for the organization where any of its family members / close relatives are involved at a decision-making position
• Disciplinary actions for non-adhering to impartiality policies shall be taken by the Management in consultation with Impartiality Committee.

WAHA Halal Certification, its directors, managers, staff and others involved in the auditing and certification of organisations fully understand the importance of impartiality in carrying out its Halal Certification activities and the importance of managing any conflict of interests and ensuring the objectivity of its certification activities.

WAHA does not:

• pursue or plan to pursue business activities, which could jeopardize impartiality
• advertise certification/auditing services, which could affect impartiality
• employ personnel that may affect impartiality.
• cater to clients where there would be a breach of impartiality

Consequently, in order to best manage these guiding principles, WAHA Halal Certification:

• Has an Impartiality Committee, consisting of independent members representing WAHAs’ key interests, that will advise on matters of impartiality and WAHA’s management undertakes to act on the findings of their reviews.
• Prohibits its auditors from participating in the audit of any organization to which they have done consultancy or training (other than professionally registered auditor training), or they had any financial or commercial interest for a minimum period of 2 years prior to the date of application of the organization for registration
• Ensures that when allocated a particular contract, Audit staff, whether employed or contracted, shall not disclose or discuss any detail; before or after the audit; to any member of staff other than their direct Management or other members of the team, as required by their conditions of employment or contracted engagement.
• Prohibits its own employees from engaging in consultancy, which may involve the active design, generation or implementation of Halal Compliance.
• Ensures that all directly employed Management and Staff are required to declare all financial interests or business activities that may present conflicts of interest with WAHA’s certification activities on commencement and during the period of employment.
• Is responsible for, and retains absolute authority for decisions relating to certification, including the granting, maintaining, renewing, extending, reducing, suspending and withdrawal of certification.
• Conducts an assessment, at least once in a year, on both actual and potential risks to WAHA’s impartiality which is reviewed by the impartiality committee.

WAHA management undertakes to abide by these guidelines in all WAHA activities and also actively review and audit internal operations to ensure these guiding principles are understood and adhered to by the whole organisation.

Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA), its President, Managers, Staff and others involved in the Certification of Persons fully understand the importance of impartiality in undertaking its Certification activities.

Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) will therefore ensure that in its dealings with Clients or potential Clients, all employees or other personnel involved in Certification activities are, and will remain, impartial.

To ensure that impartiality is both maintained and can be demonstrated, Western Australia Halal Authority (WAHA) has identified, and risk assessed all relationships which may result in a conflict of interest or pose a threat to impartiality.

WAHA, its Chairman, Managers, Staff, and other stakeholders involved in the certification process will ensure all transactions are carried out fairly and without prejudice or discrimination.

  WAHA will ensure:

• Procedures are in place thought the application process to maintain fair treatment of the applications
• That our services are accessible to all applicants whose activities fall within the scope of our certification schemes.
• That the Certification process is not impacted by the client size, membership of any association or group, number of certifications already issued, Political views, financial position

WAHA management undertakes to abide by these guidelines in all our activities and also actively review and audit internal operations to ensure these guiding principles are understood and adhered to by the whole organization.

WAHA preserves the right to decline applications or maintain certification if the client is involved in illegal activities, demonstrated history of non-compliances with the international standards that may harm WAHA’s reputation or certification status.

Complaints can be made to WAHA via the link below, email, letter, or phone to your WAHA contact. When notifying WAHA of a complaint please provide all the details of the complaint and any evidence supporting your complaint. When a complaint is received, the WAHA Complaint Committee will be notified.  The committee team will handle the complaint through to completion. A full investigation will be completed.  You will be immediately notified when a decision is made.  If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint investigation and decision, you can appeal against the complaint decision made. Submission, investigation, and the decision on complaints shall not result in any discrimination against the Complainant by WAHA.

info-waha@westnet.com.au

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of the complaint investigation and decision, you can appeal via the link below, email, letter, or phone to your WAHA contact. The Appeal Committee will be notified and will manage the process.  Please provide evidence of:

• The nature of the appeal
• Evidence to support the appeal
• The Appeal Committee will respond in writing acknowledging receipt of your appeal and arrange an independent review of your appeal. The review will include:
• Interviewing relevant stakeholders
• Reviewing all relevant documentation
• Considering information provided by the person making the appeal
• Considering any other relevant requirements, e.g., standard(s) or scheme requirements

Once the review is completed, the Appeal Committee will notify you in writing of the outcome of the appeal.

Appeal decisions are considered final by WAHA. If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the appeal, you have the right to contact the relevant accreditation body. Submission, investigation and the decision on appeals shall not result in any discrimination against the Appellant by WAHA.

info-waha@westnet.com.au

This instruction covers suspension procedures through withdrawal or cancellation of the certificate and revision of the register of certified clients for the identified products.

• Grounds for action are brought to the attention of the National Halal Manager, who reviews the information and decides whether to proceed.
• If the National Halal Manager decides to proceed, the certified client must reply to WAHA within fifteen days of receipt of letter.
• If the National Halal Manager determines that the action or position contained in the certified client reply is satisfactory, he issues a letter stating this, and mails it to the certified client via registered mail.
• If actions are required, due dates must be set, and National Halal Manager must review the actions at those times to ensure that they are effectively completed in order to prevent suspension or cancellation.
• If the certified client does not reply in fifteen days, if the reply is not satisfactory, or if the actions required are not effectively completed in the allowed time, the National Halal Manager determines whether to suspend or cancel certification.
• If the decision is made to cancel certification, the Technical Manager is responsible for suspending the certified client or canceling the certified client from the Register of Certified client, advising the certified client by registered mail / courier, and publicizing the cancellation, if necessary.

The following reasons are considered grounds for suspension or cancellation:

• Major non–conformance(s) or effective corrective action not implemented within a specified time period.
• Improper use of the certificate, symbol, or logo not remedied to the satisfaction of WAHA
• Certified client ceases to supply services of the certified quality for an extended period of time.
• Certified clients have persistently fail to meet any of the requirements for certification including requirements for the effectiveness.
• Certified client fails to meet financial obligations to WAHA
• Certified client makes a formal request to withdraw certification.
• Infringement by the certified client of any contractual conditions between the certified client and WAHA
• Certified client is unable or unwilling to ensure conformance to revisions of standards.
• Existence of a serious complaint, or a large number of second- or third-party complaints, which indicate that the system is not being maintained.
• Certified client does not allow periodic evaluation to be conducted at the required frequency

Subject to actions by the certified client, the following steps will be taken leading to possible suspension or cancellation of the certified client’s product certification:

• Unless a reply is received to the letter accompanying notification within 15 days, certification will be suspended, and a notification of suspension may be published at the discretion of WAHA
• The certified client’s response to the accompanying letter will be reviewed and the proceedings may be put on hold while clarification is sought.
• Where mutually agreed–upon corrective action is to be implemented, a time period for implementation will be specified and a review of the corrective action undertaken at the appointed time. This may be the subject of a special surveillance visit or of review of submitted objective evidence, at the discretion of WAHA Should the corrective action not be considered adequate or not be completed by the appointed time, certification will be automatically suspended.
• In the case of serious circumstances, WAHA may invoke suspension during the period pending the implementation of corrective action.
• Where suspension has been invoked, unless otherwise specified, the certified client must advise WAHA every 15 days of the current situation of corrective action. Failure to meet this requirement will result in cancellation of the certified client’s certification.
• Where suspension has been invoked due to failure to conduct periodic evaluation, the certified client shall give justification for failure and offer suitable date. An additional day shall be added to routine periodic days. The date shall not be later than 15 months from last Evaluation. Failure to offer for Evaluation within 15 months shall result in cancellation of certification.
• When corrective action to resolve the problem(s) taken by the certified client has been verified, certification will be resumed. The period of certification will not be revised to cover the period of suspension.
• Cancellation of certification will be invoked where; following suspension of certification, the certified client fails to respond to WAHA communications within the 15 days grace period or fails to implement corrective action within the appointed time period.
• In extreme circumstances WAHA may invoke the cancellation of certification with immediate effect without recourse to initial certification suspension.
• Cancellation of certification will require the certified client to assume the status of non–approval and return all certification documentation to WAHA
• Use of certification documents, symbols, or logos by the certified client following certification cancellation may result in legal action being taken against the certified client.
• Re–approval after certification cancellation will be on the same basis, and follow the same process, as that of initial application for a new certified client. This will require a full assessment, with optional document review at the discretion of WAHA
• The de–certification will be published as a separate list and will be available at the WAHA office and made available upon request.
• The certified client has the right to appeal any decisions of WAHA and a copy of the appeals procedures will be made available upon request.
• National Halal Manager shall remove the companies where the certificate has been cancelled. During suspension, suspension remark shall be placed in the registered of certified client.
• The certified client files for all cancelled cases shall be archived for a period of 3 months and then destroyed.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA HALAL AUTHORITY (WAHA) will, in response to an application for expansion to scope of certificate already granted, undertake a review of the application (contract review) and determine any audit activities necessary to determine whether or not the expansion may be granted, including the requirement to conduct a visit. This may be conducted in conjunction with a surveillance visit.

The certification decision maker will be responsible for granting an extension to scope based upon the information supplied. The process is the same as for initial certification following a stage 2 audit.

Refusal of the certification is done in the following circumstances.

• Client fails to submit the corrective actions within 60 days’ time frame from the date of evaluation,
• Corrective actions submitted by the client are not satisfactory considering the non–conformities / observations,
• Client fails to pay the required fees in the given time frame,
• Client does not want to have certificate after completion of the assessment,
• Objective evidence submitted during the evaluation found fake.

All the above reason will lead to refusal of product certification even after completion of the evaluation.

The National Halal Manager will take decision on the refusal of certificate based on the above circumstances.

Details of refusal of the certificate are given to the client in the writing and show cause notice is submitted to the client for such incidence.

Client is requested to reapply in writing against the show cause notice.

The details of refusal of certificate are maintained in the client file and then file is closed.

The National Halal Manager maintains the list of refusal of the certificates.

WAHA has the right to decline applications where the client demonstrated reasons, such as the client participating in illegal activities, having a history of repeated non-compliances with certification/product requirements, or similar client-related issues.

Use of the Certification Mark does not exonerate the Client from any liability imposed by law regarding the performance of its services and the performance, design, manufacturing, shipment, sale or distribution of its products.

This will be available upon request.

This will be available upon request.