ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) in its eagerness to generate revenue, is losing out a golden opportunity to develop its own industry.
The Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) had brought the issue of international standards adaption for making helmets to the attention of the then minister of Science and Technology through its letter dated August 9, 2021, and reminders thereafter.
A meeting was called and minutes where issued but the issue was once again shelved. Now international standards have been adopted and a summary sent to the Cabinet for approval for making these standards mandatory.
According to official documents, a letter on January 16, the PAMA has shared copies of previous correspondence with the DG PSQCA with copies to the secretary commerce, the secretary industry, and the CEO EDB, bringing to attention the commitments on record.
The minutes of the meeting dated September 13, 2022, which was chaired by the additional secretary MoST, clearly recorded decision as “Participation of PAMA members in the National Standard Committee (NSC) meeting will be ensured.” No meeting was called after that and the decision taken in the meeting was completely ignored.
Industry sources are of the view that this has resulted in arbitrary decision making and now such standards have reportedly been forwarded to the Cabinet for adoption that will take away a big opportunity from the entrepreneurs of the country to start an industry that has real potential for exports.
On the contrary, the adoption of international standards will result in more imports by Pakistan. Such an ill-advised proposal has been made possible by excluding real stakeholders from participating in the discussion and decision-making process.
Industry maintains that the PSQCA’s irresponsible attitude has already forced out hardcore manufacturing from Pakistan. The generator business by Siemens of Germany which employed around 1,000 technically qualified, highly-paid engineers was closed down just because this world-renowned company could not manage the red tape of the PSQCA.
On the other hand, in our neighbouring country, many industries have mushroomed because of the highly positive attitude of their standards formulation and implementation body. Hundreds of tyre manufacturers and the whole auto industry that are now competing with the world are only two examples of a highly successful industrial structure that has succeeded on the foundation of localised standards.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023