LAHORE: The Director General of Punjab Food Authority Muhammad Asim Javed has reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to ensure food quality and eliminating adulteration.
He praised the cooperation and positive response from LCCI President Kashif Anwar during a seminar on “Guidelines for Food Business Licensing and Registration with Punjab Food Authority” held at the LCCI.
The seminar was chaired by LCCI President Kashif Anwar and Additional Director General of Punjab Food Authority, Rao Pervez Akhtar, along with other prominent figures such as Haseeb Ullah Khan, Convener of the Standing Committee on Legal Education and Executive Committee member Shamshad Akhtar, were also present.
The DG Punjab Food Authority highlighted the challenges posed by adulteration mafias and emphasized their responsibility to ensure food quality.
He shared statistics from January 1st, 2024, to August 31st, 2024, showing a 100% increase in food inspections, a rise in FIRs and a threefold reduction in the supply of adulterated milk.
He also informed President Kashif Anwar about the launch of the “School Nutrition Programme” for children, which includes the development of a dedicated portal that will categorize children into four groups for better monitoring. As the programme matures, consultations with LCCI will also be incorporated.
LCCI President Kashif Anwar commended the Punjab Food Department’s efforts in ensuring quality and combating adulteration, stressing the importance of improving food quality to positively impact the environment and public health.
He reiterated that “Environmental and health issues will not improve until food quality is enhanced” and assured full cooperation from LCCI in these efforts.
Kashif Anwar further informed the DG Food Authority that LCCI has signed multiple MOUs with hospitals, diagnostic labs, universities, colleges and other institutions to provide discounted services for its members. He reiterated LCCI’s commitment to the welfare of its members.
Additionally, President Anwar mentioned that LCCI regularly organizes Tax Clinics and SECP Clinics where experts provide solutions to members’ problems. He emphasized the need for awareness and education, stating that while there are no grievances against federal or provincial bodies, overcoming the lack of awareness is essential.
He proposed the establishment of a help desk at LCCI by the Punjab Food Authority, where an official from the Authority would assist members at least once a week.
He also suggested that the Food Authority should regularly hold awareness sessions at the LCCI and extend these efforts to colleges and universities. President Kashif Anwar lauded the efforts of the Standing Committee Convener Haseeb Ullah Khan for his exemplary work.
During his presentation, DG Asim Javed detailed that Section 15 and Section 7(k) of the Punjab Food Authority Act, 2011, empower the Authority to register Food Business Operators (FBOs).
Under Section 15, no person is allowed to operate a food business without proper registration or licensing and Section 7(k) enables the Food Authority to levy fees for registration, licensing and other services. He added that in 2017, the Punjab Food Authority introduced e-Licensing to promote the government’s paperless vision, with the total number of registered FBOs now reaching 712,359.
The 2017 regulations of the Food Authority aim to ensure product safety and quality. After thorough sampling and analysis, products are registered and a Certificate of Product Registration is issued. The digitization of the registration process has reduced processing time and improved traceability, making the process more efficient.
In his closing remarks, DG Asim Javed encouraged young graduates to explore entrepreneurship, e-commerce and digital marketing rather than relying solely on traditional employment. He also urged Food Authority officers to support industries by contributing to the ease of doing business.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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