KARACHI, Oct 28 (ABC): Director General, Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, Zain-ul-Abideen, during his visit to the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) here on Friday, informed the business community of the global obligations of World Trade Organization (WTO) related to technical barriers to trade and agreed that both the bodies needed to develop inter active partnership in that regard. The Director General, accompanied by senior PSQCA officers’ team, discussed wide range of issues relating to facilitating production and consumer economy.
Prominent on the side of FPCCI were Vice Presidents Engr. M.A. Jabbar, Shbbir Hassan Mansha and Khurram Ijaz, Director PSW Pakistan Single Window. Zain-ul-Abideen informed the participants that tariff and technical barriers to trade were simultaneously applied in regulating trade and manufacturing sectors to produce and sell quality goods against value of supply by the consumers who were the actual source of generating economy. He suggested that FPCCI, being the apex trade body of the country, should form interactive groups for negotiating facilitation for FPCCI stakeholders to be extended by regulatory framework of PSQCA.
“ We all should be alive to the needs of serving consumer economy,” he asserted adding that for this purpose the manufacturers, importers and PSQCA would have to play their due roles in satisfying consumers. PSQCA Chief fully appreciated the offer of FPCCI on Pakistan Single Window through its Vice Presidents Engr. M.A.Jabbar and Shabbir Hassan Mansha and FPCCI Nominee Director Khurram Ijaz on PSW. He responded to the demand of FPCCI that PSQCA was moving towards bonding of digitalization of the system between PSQCA and PSW for fast trade clearance of general declaration of the Customs in clearing the requirements of mandatory standards which were answerable to assurance of quality of goods whether imported or manufactured locally.
He said that PSQCA had already offered seven products on the first stage to integrate with the system for electronic clearance of TBTs to exclude hassle, harassment and unnecessary human interaction. PSQCA Head said, as regulatory body, PSQCA had emerged out of the obligations of WTO and of one of its packages which was TBT and PSQCA is officially accredited as Inquiry Point for WTO to continuously update awareness in respect of international obligations and standards. PSQCA was also taking care of sanitary and phyto-sanitary conditions as standards for sale and manufacturing of products to ensure health, safety and hygiene of human being, plants and the environment as a whole. DG , PSQCA and his team dully responded to queries from FPCCI business leaders. To the question on 24/7 operation of PSQCA to match tariff related clearance through the Customs, he accepted the demand and assured, “we are available to serve business interests of the country accordingly.”
On point of risk management system, he said the authority was also carrying study and research to consider the earliest TBT issue clearance. PSQCA would also positively consider to issue certificates on the basis of RMS of those goods, which are branded, well-known and available with in-house testing facilities for issuing certificates after the first inspection to remain valid for one year. Such certificates for business interest groups will be for considerable time period and will be considered as Green Period Certificates. Zain-ul- Abideen conceded to form FPCCI-PSQCA Coordination Committee for periodical interactions on sustainable basis to understand each other’s view points towards objective resolution of the issues raised by business interest stakeholders. He also affirmed to work on publication of specifications contained in mandatory standards for hosting on PSQCA website.
He said that he agrees with FPCCI that the difference in identical and similar goods be demarcated through more than eight digits of HS codes, which presently are also issued by the Customs valuation to help in removing misunderstandings of Pakistan Customs which is sending sometimes clearances of TBTs, which are not under the domain of the mandatory list as is updated and revised. He listened to the demands of the stakeholders for reducing marking fee cost towards higher compliance in the mutual interest.
He also promised that racket of selling fake, counterfeit and unhygienic mineral water sale in urban and rural areas will be dealt with association and support of provincial governments who are also now have become proactive in the interest of safety of people. The participants raised questions of pending clearance of 74 goods declarations filed, awaiting TBT clearance from PSQCA causing hardships and encroaching upon the ease of doing business. DG PSQCA offered FPCCI to identify conversant people in trade and manufacturing goods to join technical committees on standards so that all time cooperation sustains to have workable relationship between FPCCI PSQCA.