KARACHI, April 7: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Tehmina Daultana has vowed to upgrade the technical expertise at Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) to meet the challenges of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) under WTO.

During a visit to the PSQCA office on Monday the minister said that she was fully seized with the challenges being faced by the local industry as well as the PSQCA.

She maintained that increase in export volume was possible only through quality of products acceptable in the global market. However, the minister expressed her concern over the rejection of more than 54 items exported to EU market due to non-compliance of technical regulations and non-conformance of quality standards notified by the EU.

The minister also took notice of several items consumed locally, which do not conform to the quality and safety aspects. She stressed upon the need for quality surveillance and standards to protect the health of consumers.

Ms Daultana expressed her desire to help all quality infrastructure institutions in the country to have better linkage for sustaining growth of the economy so that not only consumers’ interest was protected but also increase country’s share in the world market.

The minister said that she would like the PSQCA to become a role model with enhanced facilities of testing and certification, which should be impressive so that the national standardisation body acquires a credible image both in the local and foreign market.

The present list of mandatory products contains only 51 products, which include cooking oil, cement and bottled drinking water. She said the list needed to be expanded as the outside world appears to be working on quality standard not only on raw materials but manufacturing process as well including management standardisation — ISO9000, environment standards — ISO1400 and HACCP for increasing productivity level.