The minister assured traders that their concerns would be addressed by the centre. PHOTO: INP
The federal government will soon provide accreditation to all the laboratories in the city working under the Ministry of Science and Technology to ensure their operations are according to international standards.
This was stated by Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid while visiting the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) on Monday along with senior officials of the federal government.
Certifiable
Hamid shared the federal government is working on establishing a Halal food authority to boost the export of Halal products across the world. “Pakistan has a very meagre stake in the approximate $3 trillion Halal products business in the world,” said the minister. As a major producer and a Muslim country, Pakistan should have a larger share in the market, he claimed.
Around the country, there are 59 laboratories working under the ministry; however, only four have the authority to issue standardisation certifications.
The Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR) and Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) are the two major labs in Peshawar but both do not have the authority to issue international standard accreditation.
Once products are accredited by PSQCA, no authority can challenge or reject the accreditation, said the minister, adding ISO9000 and other accreditations are no longer legal and action will be taken against authorities working under them, said Hamid.
Industrialists present at the meeting in KPCCI criticised the performance of the two calibration and standardisation laboratories, and termed them ‘inefficient’.
“The PCSIR and PSQCA, though comprise qualified staff, are a waste of businessmen’s time,” said Noman Wazir, an industrialist. He said the labs do not have the necessary resources to perform their duties effectively.
Wazir asked the minister to waive fees for businessmen to attract people towards accreditation of their products as well as to boost exports.
Tax breaks
Earlier, KPCCI President Zahidullah Shinwari informed the minister about problems faced by the province’s business community due to militancy, energy crises and extortion.
“We do not have any accredited laboratory in K-P to issue [international] standardisation certificates which forces traders to visit Lahore for the purpose,” said Shinwari. He also asked for a package similar to the one given to them by the previous government that entailed certain tax exemptions. “The province is in worse shape now than in the past so we deserve more tax breaks and incentives,” said Shinwari.
Talking about extortion demands from traders via Afghan phone numbers, he said though the issue comes under the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s domain, the government will look into the illegal use of foreign SIMs inside Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2014.
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