ISLAMABAD: Senate’s Standing Committee on Statistics on Friday recommended the introduction of a mechanism to improve the quality of Pakistani products in the international market.
The recommendation arrived following the reports about the export of substandard products in the international market. Sale of substandard medicines also came under discussion in the meeting, which was held under the chair of Senator Dr Jahanzeb at the Parliament House.
Statistics Division Secretary Shaista Sohail briefed the meeting on the procedure and coding system being followed to collect data from the industrial sector in Pakistan.
The secretary informed the meeting that ‘Izak Coding’ system is being followed all over the world for data collection and Pakistan has made its own ‘Pakistan Industrial Classification’ to collect statistics from its industrial sector.
She said that population consensus would be conducted on industrial manufacturing in three provinces, adding that the Sindh industrial sector was not cooperating with the Statistics Division. Shaista added that letters have been dispatched to the relevant departments of provinces in this connection.
She said the absence of inspectors at the grassroots level and a lack of supervisory culture in the industrial sector has left a negative image of Pakistan in the international market.
The State Bank director on the occasion said that the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and other concern departments should play their due role in this regard, adding that the customs officials should ensure the quality of exportable items.
Dr Jahanzeb observed that poor checking procedure resulted in bringing a bad name for the country. He directed the concerned officials to issue notices to those provinces who don’t cooperate with the statistics division.
The meeting observed that many countries, including India, sell Pakistani products with their own labels. It was also observed in the meeting that the demand for Pakistani product has been increasing in the international market and that Pakistan should improve the quality of its products in order to benefit from this trend.
