President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Muffasar Atta Malik criticized the government's move to limit the operations of Sindh Food Authority (SFA) to Karachi only. "It is likely to create a lot of problems for the business and industrial community as it seems that the Authority has been established in haste," he said.
KCCI president said that SFA's Board of Governors, headed by Sindh Food Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, mostly comprises of dozens of bureaucrats including Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners along with three nominated members of Sindh Assembly and a representative of Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "SFA Board should be made more balanced by enhancing the representation of business and industrial community, which will surely make it a vibrant regulatory authority," he suggested.
Malik categorically said KCCI was not against the establishment of SFA because it believes that safe, hygienic and healthy food is the basic right of every citizen and it has to be supplied to the masses at any cost but it was highly unfair to limit the Authority's operations to Karachi only. "From the very beginning, SFA should have covered every nook and corner of Sindh because the food health and hygiene conditions in other cities, towns and villages across Sindh are more miserable as compared to Karachi city," he said.
Commenting on numerous tasks given to the inspectors who will be authorized to inspect hotels and restaurants, food markets, departmental stores, food industries, bakeries, dairy and meat shops, bottled water companies and other such food-related outlets and industrial units, KCCI president stressed that strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have to be defined for these inspectors and the same must be widely publicized via all modes of communications with a view to raise awareness and ensure that no businessman is being harassed by any SFA inspector. "SFA Operations have to be made fully automated and transparent with online access in order to discourage bribery and minimize the hardships likely to be faced by concerned businessmen and industrialists," he urged.
Malik further suggested that massive awareness campaigns through seminars and advertisements have to be carried out about the quality and standard of food items and the Authority should refrain from taking immediate punitive action till such time when people are fully aware about the compliance standards.
"Afterwards, if SFA finds any food item unfit for human consumption, it should initially give a specific deadline and failure to comply after the deadline, should lead to punitive action," he proposed.
He stressed that kickbacks must be discouraged at all costs. He demanded that relevant laws have to be defined for strict punishment and penal action not only in case an item provided by any businessman is found unfit for human consumption but also in case an SFA inspector attempts to take advantage of the situation by harassing someone to seek bribe. He urged that aim should be to improve and effectively regulate the food sector, not to open new avenues for corruption.
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