Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Rice Exporters' Association of Pakistan (REAP) have, in principle, decided to disband Quality Review Committee of Rice (QRC) and to offer golden handshake scheme to its employees forthwith, sources told Business Recorder. The QRC, a rice certification authority was established in 1999 when European countries were demanding that there should be an internal certification body to ensure the import of quality brown rice from Pakistan.
The TDAP and REAP have representation on the QRC's board and Director General TDAP, Lahore, is head of QRC. Quality Clearance Certificate (QCC) of QRC was mandatory for the exports of rice to any destination in the world.
Presently, Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) is authorised for the certification of brown rice being exported to Europe. In addition, several importing countries have imposed condition of a third party inspection through international agency to ensure the quality of rice and as such the TDAP and REAP have decided, in principle, to disband the QRC.
The process to disband the QRC was discussed last week at a meeting held in Lahore under the chairmanship of TDAP director-general Sher Afgan Khan. It was attended by REAP chairman Rafique Suleman, senior vice chairman Mian Mohsin Aziz and treasurer Muzammil Cheppal and members of managing committee.
Briefing the meeting, the DG TDAP, Lahore, who is also the chairman of QRC, told the meeting that a golden handshake scheme will be offered to the employees of QRC in a couple of days. The golden handshake as per agreed formula include one salary per annum to be multiplied by total years of service, besides three additional salaries and some financial relief will be provided to the employees, he added.
The meeting also decided that the QRC's controller, deputy controller and chief accountant will continue to work till finalisation of the organisation's audit by Messrs Mushtaq & Company and once this exercise was accomplished, they too will be offered the same golden handshake.
When the REAP chairman Rafique Suleman raised the issue of certification of rice for Sri Lanka which under the FTA is linked with QRC certification, the REAP members suggested that TDAP should propose to the Ministry of Commerce to authorise the TCP to issue certificate for export of 6,000 metric tons of rice to Sri Lanka and the DG TDAP agreed to take up the matter with the ministry on priority.
Giving details of the QRC's employees, the sources said there are some 24 employees and of them 14 employees are working at Karachi, seven at Lahore and three at Quetta. All the QRC employees, expect three, will be offered golden handshake scheme on Monday to facilitate disbandment of the QRC.
After the disbandment of QRC, exporters will not be required to get rice quality certification from any domestic authority (except for Europe's brown rice quality). However, they will continue to submit a third party certification/quality report.
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