PSQCA observes World Standards Day

Apart from the ground reality that markets are flooded with substandard goods amidst poor quality controlling system in the country, Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) has celebrated 43rd World Standard Day in collaboration with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Monday.
Mir Changez Khan Jamali, Minister Science & Technology, who was chief guest of the seminar with the theme "International Standards: Less Waste, Better Results" held here at the Federation House, expressed his satisfaction and pleasure that more than 2000 standards developers from Industry, R & D organisations, universities, professional associations and NGOs were voluntarily participating in more than 150 technical committees of the PSQCA.
According to the minister, barrier-free trade is an ultimate and indispensable reality of the world. Indeed, Pakistani companies must also remain vigilant about the development of international standards and practice involvement in the process. PSQCA is providing a platform to the Pakistani industry to participate in the international standardisation activities of the ISO, IEO and OIML.
Energy conservation and efficiency are the hot issues of Pakistan. PSQCA has adopted minimum energy performance standards (MEPS). MEPSs are one of the quickest and most effective means of removing inefficient products, services and practices from the market.
"The European Union has set a target of a 20 percent energy efficiency improvement by 2020. I can see no reason why Pakistan cannot achieve or even exceed this target by the implementation of energy efficiency standards of home appliances," he added.
ISO has developed societal security standards under ISO/TC 223 which develops international standards that aim to increase societal security, ie protection of society from and response to incidents, emergencies, and disasters caused by intentional and unintentional human acts, natural hazards, and technical failures.
He also suggested that public and private sector organisations actively participate in the PSQCA's mirror committee on ISO/TC 223 on Societal Security standards to develop viable standardisation solutions in Pakistan. He stated that PSQCA has established an office at Sialkot to support standardisation activities for facilitation of exports. Recently PSQCA has signed an agreement with the Bureau of Indian Standards and hopefully through this agreement the PSQCA would facilitate the trade of cement and other items to India by mutual acceptance of standards and conformity of assessment procedures.
In reply to a query that over 10 officials of PSQCA have gone to the courts against discriminatory approaches of the management, he said that they would be dealt with in the courts.
To another query that PSQCA has made around 100 illegal appointments, the minister was of the view that the PPP-led government always gives employment opportunities to needy people. Pir Bakhsh Jamali, Director General of PSQCA, said that rapid globalisation of markets and accelerating technological innovation has brought a new need for multidisciplinary education in standards and standardisation in Pakistan in order to improve international competitiveness of their industries and to solve various socio-economic and environmental issues facing them. Pakistan has signed at least 14 MoUs with various countries mainly Middle Eastern states for mutual co-operation in the field of quality and standard besides international acceptance of Pakistani products.
The DG PSQCA further claimed that standardisation for Halal products was developed while the same were being developed for 62 items concerned with Plant Protection department. Dr Shehzad Afzal, Deputy Director General (SD) of PSQCA informed that in celebration of the World Standards Day (WSD), October 14, 2012 the authority was sponsoring an Essay Competition for College and University 'Students to highlight the importance of international standardisation. Using a maximum of 1500 words, students are required to complete an essay thoroughly addressing the WSD, 2012 theme "Less waste, better results- Standards increase Efficiency".
A representative from a private firm, K&N's expressed his reservations that the country was going into deals with various countries while signing Free Trade Agreements without ensuring the internationally accredited facilities of quality and standard in the country. As Pakistani standards/quality are not largely acceptable for the world, he feared that there would be more imports than exports from the country in near future.
He stated that due to lack of Halal standards and implementation of government rules, meat stunned animals (through machinery) are being imported in the country even from Malaysia where the practice is allowed.
Under the present circumstances, export to India is unlikely as maintenance of standards as compared to Pakistan's is far better than in the neighbouring country, he said. Surprisingly, consumer associations/organisations, which are usually critical of the performance of PSQCA for its failure to control the ever-spreading substandard goods in the markets, were found praising the authority on Monday. Despite the dismal standards and quality in the country, the representatives of these organisations, in their speeches, even gave the impression that there was nothing wrong regarding the quality/standard of both locally produced and imported goods. The seminar was also addressed by Begum Salma Ahmed, Vice President FPCCI.