Government to buy uncertified sugar from PSM

Government is going to buy at least 0.2 million tonnes uncertified and substandard sugar, since local sugar producers and millers are not certified by Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).
None of the members of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) holds the license issued by PSQCA. Hence, sugar about to be bought by Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) from local millers, courtesy recently issued tender, would also be uncertified. This, according to sources, would also be a violation of government acts and procurement rules of highly consumed kitchen items set by TCP.
Sources said, since PSMA has gone to court against marking fee and procedure of the certification by PSQCA, the inspection of quality and standard at locals mills were still not made by the authority. As per requirements of TCP, certification from PSQCA is mandatory for procurement. However, according to sources it was not clear how tendered sugar would be procured from local mills where it was not being certified by the authority.
According to the Parliament Act 2007, it was mandatory for sugar to be certified by the country’s only quality controlling authority.
However, official sources at TCP claimed that in light of the procedure of sugar procurement, certification process was mandatory and the corporation itself would ensure quality through an independent testing system.
Specification and others necessary conditions related to the quality of kitchen items have already been included in tender application and all requirements would be met before procurement, they said. According to recently issued Gallop Tender Notice of TCP for purchase of 200,000 MT sugar, the corporation has also mentioned it clearly that bids should be in sealed envelops for a minimum quantity of 5,000MT and maximum of 20,000 MT white sugar packed in polypropylene woven sacks. This is according to detailed specifications and PSQCA approved standards as mentioned in tender documents from mills which are member of PSMA. Sugar mills defaulted with TCP are not eligible to participate in the tender. However, sources claimed that PSMA, owing absence of PSQCA’s inspection, was issuing a certificate of standard itself. Talking to Profit, Javed Kiani, Chairman, PSMA said sugar to be sold to TCP would be tested by TCP itself and according to procedure quality inspection process would be completed by the corporation.
Certification of mills has not been made so far due to high marking fee and other lengthy procedures of PSQCA.
Since the authority wants to establish its monopoly over the process while fixing high marking fee for certification, PSMA had approached the court to avoid losses and unnecessarily prolonged process. Committee formed by Economic Coordination Committee is likely to approve procurement of sugar from local millers within the next couple of days.
It is worth mentioning here that PSQCA, under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is the national standardisation body. PSQCA has been in operation since 1st December 2000 and it works with 81 scientists and engineers, and 254 supporting staff. The self-financed organisation, has been given the task of not only formulation of Pakistan Standards, but is also responsible for its promulgation as well. PSQCA is a member of International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), International Electro-technical Commission (IEC), and International Organisation of Legal Metrology (OIML). PSQCA has also been established to advise government on standardisation policies, programmes and activities to promote industrial efficiency and development.