Cabinet for enforcing quality standards

In the meantime, quality control authority should be strengthened, say members

ISLAMABAD:

Members of the cabinet have expressed apprehension over the capacity of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to include 61 goods in the quality control list, saying the well-meaning initiative may turn into a rent-seeking move, causing undesirable delay and adding to costs of businesses.

PSQCA, which works under the administrative control of Ministry of Science and Technology, is responsible for monitoring the quality of products falling under its Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme.

During discussions in a recent meeting of the cabinet, its members were fully supportive of introducing health and safety standards but voiced concern over the capacity of PSQCA.

It was suggested that the standards must be enforced in a phased manner and in the meantime PSQCA should be strengthened. It was proposed that the standards could be enforced through international certification companies as well.

The minister for science and technology assured meeting participants that human interaction between PSQCA officials and businesses was being curtailed through automation, which would, in turn, mitigate corruption.

Cabinet members also underscored the need to revamp the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) in order to ensure strict compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary standards for food items.

The list of 61 items had been divided into SRO-I and SRO-II. SRO-I comprises food, chemical and electronic items while SRO-II consists of electrical plugs, switches, sockets, etc. The cabinet approved the draft SRO-I and SRO-II for the inclusion of 61 goods in the Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme.

The Science and Technology Division informed the cabinet that a summary titled “Inclusion of 61 food and non-food items in the Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme of PSQCA” was earlier submitted for its consideration.

The cabinet, in its meeting held on May 5, 2020, considered the subject and directed that the federal minister for science and technology may convene a consultative meeting with the minister for industries and production and adviser to prime minister on commerce, and resubmit the summary.

Later, the minister for science and technology held a series of meetings with the minister for industries and adviser to PM on commerce, where the matter was discussed in detail and a consensus was reached.

It was stated that the national standards organisation of any country was responsible for highlighting consumer health and safety issues and formulating food and non-food standards for their enforcement.

PSQCA had formulated the standards after detailed deliberations between the relevant technical experts. All scientific values essential for the health and safety of consumers were specified in the above standards.

PSQCA proposed the inclusion of 61 items in the Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme. According to Section 14 of the PSQCA Act 1996, the federal government may, in consultation with the Authority and by notification in the official Gazette, prohibit the manufacturing, storage and sale of any article specified therein which did not conform to Pakistan standards. It was informed that on the recommendation of the National Standards Committee, PSQCA had proposed the inclusion of food and non-food items in the Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2020.

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