October 15, 2003

Islamabad: Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) has underlined the need of standards enforcement in Pakistan for promoting quality culture and consumer protection on sustainable basis. Commenting on “Global Standards for the Global Information Society,” which is the theme of World Standards Day this year, CRCP said that just adoption of standards of International Organization for Standards (ISO) was not the right answer. Government must address the issue of standards’ enforcement at priority basis to assume greater place in the global market and ensure safety of goods and services for consumers.

CRCP secretary general Mian Abrar Hafeez said that enforcement of documented standards was an instrument through which quality could be achieved. Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) is responsible for formulation and enforcement of standards in Pakistan. Although the Authority has adopted about 15,000 standards, their enforcement remains very poor. Mostly, adoption of these standards is voluntary. Mandatory adoption of standards applies to only a limited number of essential items mainly in the food and export sectors. Moreover, the Authority has very small inspection team with very limited capacity to enforce standards throughout the country. This is a matter of real concern that the government has not enforced even minimal standards for goods and standards in Pakistan.

Mian Abrar Hafeez regretted that Pakistan lacked in even minimum physical infrastructure to promote quality culture. For instance, the existing laboratories do not conform to even minimal standards and therefore, fail to provide reliable information and services. To one's astonishment, there is not even a single accredited laboratory accredited by Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) in Pakistan whose results could be taken as authentic.

CRCP demanded that emphasis should be laid on the effective enforcement of standards. For this purpose, PSQCA and PNAC should play a central role. In addition, there is a dire need of creating awareness among citizens regarding the importance of standards in their daily life. Government should also realize the importance of standardization to the economy and promote it in order to compete in international market.