Pakistan Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) plans to introduce Mobile Testing Laboratories (MTLs) in different cities of the country to improve its monitoring mechanism through enhanced market surveillance and surprise visits.
An MTL is already functional in Karachi while similar laboratories are going to be introduced in other major cities to achieve better results and improve efficiency, said sources at Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) on Saturday.
They said a re-structuring of PSQCA has been proposed in the National Quality Policy (NQP) to meet best international practice standards.
The summary for National Quality Policy is presently under consideration by the Cabinet for approval.
Sources say the PSQCA, an organization under administrative control of MoST, is mandated to formulate standards and monitor the quality of products falling under Compulsory Certification Mark Scheme.
Presently, 107 items are included in the mandatory scheme of PSQCA out of which 37 are food items.
Bottled Drinking Water PS: 4639-2010, Natural Mineral Water PS: 2102-2010, Banaspati (Ghee) Ps: 221 and Oil PS: 2858 also fall under the mandatory list of PSQCA.
Highlighting the steps taken, the sources stated that PSQCA had constituted market surveillance teams in different regions of the country; they were active and taking appropriate steps, they said, including seizure of plants for non-compliance to requisite Quality and Safety Standards of mandatory items.
These are being regulated through continuous open market surveillance as per the Conformity Assessment Rules of PSQCA against standard parameters and requirements of relevant Pakistan Standards Specification (PSS).
The sources said that while PSQCA’s performance was satisfactory, in order to make it more effective, the government had undertaken initiatives including amendments in PSQCA Act to improve its governance mechanisms.
The proposed amendments, inter-alia, include reconstitution of BoD, reconstitution of advisory council/executive committee, enhancement of penalties, discretionary and arbitrary powers of the PSQCA field staff/officers etc, and initiation of Foreign Manufacturer License Scheme (FML) to benefit importers by reducing clearing time at point of import.
The other steps are signing of MoUs with International counterparts for enhanced credibility and mutual recognition, with a view to facilitate exporters; up-gradation of equipment and qualified manpower of PSQCA Testing Laboratories; and increasing the number of Accredited Tests during the process of hiring of qualified manpower on vacant posts.