The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has appreciated the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) for launching Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) survey.
This survey will be conducted under Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) programme in Pakistan, which is funded by European Union.
This appreciation was given during a meeting of Zawdu Felleke, Chief Technical Advisor TRTA - UNIDO with Engr. M. A. Jabbar, vice-president and In charge WTO Resource Centre of FPCCI at the Federation House.
MAIN OBJECTIVE: Felleke stated that the main objective of this programme is the capacity building of Pakistani exporters to meet the standards specifications of the world markets in respect of products for sale and environment under which manufacturing, processing is carried out for sale and market consumption.
Felleke informed that the EU is a very important market for Pakistan and in new WTO regime quality and standards will remain non-negotiated. The imported products in European Union should be certified by internationally recognised testing laboratories in respect of certifying the compliance with legislated standards in EU against which products are saleable in the market for consumption.
The UNIDO Trade Related Technical Assistance Programme is focusing on three sectors in Pakistan, namely textiles, leather and agro-based produce. These sectors will have to focus on microbiological, chemical and mechanical testing of the products in relation to SPS and technical regulations qualifying the product for permission to sale in market.
Engr. M A Jabbar concurred with the Chief Technical Advisor of UNIDO on the mode and concept of assistance developed by UNIDO to generate serious concerns for Pakistan origin exports.
He said that internationally recognised standards are the main criteria of determining the volume of trade outflows.
He said: "There exists awareness in the country on the issue, which needs to be well placed for practical implementation in the form of purchasing recognition that our in-house laboratories are acceptable for issuance of standards." These standards, he said, would sell compliance in respect of requirements of importing countries on SPS and TBT against which the products are saleable in overseas markets in which EU has important position due to receipt of 25 percent share of total export trade flowing out of Pakistan.
Captain Abdul Rasheed Abro, Member Managing Committee, also provided some useful inputs for conducting meaningful survey to identify the issues, which would become the basis of solutions to help in increasing the trade in the world trading system under international laws governing the cross-border movement of goods.