Non-representation of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) on the Board of Management of Trade Development Authority (TDAP) is likely to make it difficult for Pakistan to achieve its export targets.
Stakeholders believe that at a time when tariffs are decreasing and standards are improving, it is necessary that the country should prepare for compliance of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and National Tariff Barriers (NTBs), for which PSQCA has been identified as National Enquiry Point (NTP) by WTO.
Pakistan has to market its products in terms of quality and compliance of standards, which are often called TBTs. In all countries no goods for consumption are sellable without any approved standard or importable for sale, without meeting the required standards.
It may be pointed out that the Government of Pakistan, in pursuance of good practices to promote exports of the country, has constituted TDAP, in place of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). This substitution, according to PSQCA, seems to be a well considered decision of the government after deliberations and discussions with stakeholders, and taking in view the imperatives of international trade.
TDAP will have to cater for the need of increasing and diversifying exports which will focus on exposure of Pakistan''s products, market access and prepare the private sector for meeting the challenges of TBTs/NTBs in order to bid the sharing of opportunities in the political economy of world trading system.
The TBTs/NTBs, as covered by the scope of WTO/TBT agreement, are to be dealt with by PSQCA on account of its functional position as National Standards Body (NSB) granted by the legislation. The organisation is mandated to be in touch with the counterpart international organisations involved in marketing/updating technical regulations against which market access is either ensured, or denied. Pakistan is in the process of establishing NEP under the Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) programme, funded by EU and being executed by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in the country.
The trade policies issued by the government through Ministry of Commerce provide many incentives, which are more or less related to compounding of TBTs/NTBs having their impact on market access. The Doha Round, and its likely completion, is to promise market access, but that would not provide any exception to application of TBTs/NTBs if Pakistan has to export and import merchandise in its own national interest.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Friday that PSQCA has written a letter to TDAP Chairman seeking legitimate representation on the Board of Management of TDAP to contribute towards the fulfilment of national objective of achieving progress and prosperity of the country.
In view of the significant role assigned to PSQCA under the ever-expanding Metrology Standards Testing Quality (MSTQ) regime, it is considered necessary that PSQCA is represented on TDAP Board of Management. The interactions will result in steering of actions aimed at not only enhancing the share in the world trade but also in indemnifying the present trends in which the countries are considering Non-Tariff Barriers and Technical Regulations/Standards as the best course for protecting domestic potentials in national interest.
At present, Pakistan has declared only 46 products to be on compulsory list, which require conformity assessment as per PSQCA Act, which provides inspection and testing of products and services for their quality, specification and characteristics, during use and for import and export purposes.
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