The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) will execute Trade-Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) Programme in Pakistan to enhance the country's exports, which is funded by the European Union.
The Unido is launching a "technical barrier" to the trade/sanitary and phytosanitary (TBT/SPS) survey, which will cover 150 companies in Pakistan.
To explain its objectives and seek local assistance, TRTA-Unido Chief Technical Advisor Zawdu Felleke met Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Vice-President Engr. M. A. JabGhulam Ansari,bar at the Federation House here on October 23.
Zawdu Felleke said the main objective of that programme was the capacity-building of Pakistani exporters to meet the standard specifications of the world markets in respect of products for sale and environment under which manufacturing, processing was carried out for sales and market consumption.
The funding agreement for the TRTA programme was signed on February 18 in Islamabad.
In this connection, the EU has established a Programme Steering Committee (PSC), chaired by European Commission, with responsibility for policy guidance and co-ordination among all institutions and groups involved in the programme.
The FPCCI has also been included in the PSC membership, which has nominated its Vice-President and World Trade Organisation (WTO) Resource Centre Incharge, Engr. M.A.Jabbar, on the committee.
Felleke said the EU was a very important market for Pakistan and in the new WTO regime, the quality and standards would remain non-negotiated.
The imported products in the EU should be certified by the international recognised testing laboratories in respect of certifying the compliance with legislated standards in the EU against which the products were saleable in the market for consumption, he added.
The Unido-TRTA programme is focusing on three sectors in Pakistan - textiles, leather and agro-based produce. These sectors will have to focus on microbiological, chemical and mechanical testing of the products in relation to the SPS and technical regulations qualifying the products for permission to sale in market.
Engr. Jabbar concurred with Unido's Chief Technical Advisor on the mode and concept of assistance developed by the Unido to generate serious concerns for Pakistan origin exports.
Internationally recognised standards were the main criterion for determining the volume of trade overflows, he said, adding that there existed awareness in the country on the issue.
Jabbar said: "Our in-house laboratories are acceptable for issuance of standard certifications," adding those standards would sell compliance in respect of requirements of importing countries on the TBT and the SPS against which the products were saleable in overseas markets.
The EU had important position in those markets due to receipt of 25 percent share of the total export trade flowing out of Pakistan, he further said.
FPCCI managing committee's member Capt. Abdul Rasheed Abro also provided some useful inputs for conducting meaningful survey to identify the issues which would become the basis of solutions to help in increasing the trade in the world trading system under the international laws governing the cross border movement of the goods.
The technical and administrative provisions for the TRTA programme provide that:
-- The programme will be implemented by the EC following centralised management procedures.
-- The ITC, Unido and World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo) will be responsible in turn for the implementation of the component on the WTO capacity building, standards and quality control, and intellectual property rights.
-- A PSC will be established and chaired by the EC.
-- The PSC will meet three times a year with responsibility for (i) policy guidance and co-ordination among all stakeholders/institutions involved in the programme; (ii) facilitating and reviewing the overall programme's implementation, including monitoring progress.
-- The appropriate structure and sub-structures will be discussed and agreed upon during the inception phase of the programme (ie during the first four months of implementation).
The PSC will provide the necessary mechanisms for information sharing and discussing key trade related policy issues of importance to the programme, to Pakistan (eg, post-MFA textile issues), and to EU-Pakistan relationships.
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