24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: The national industry should voluntarily improve the quality of products rather than waiting for the government to implement rules in this regard.

This was stated by International Islamic University (IIU) Rector Justice Khalilur Rahman (retired), while talking to the participants of the 3-day WTO training course for seed industry, The course was organized by the IIU in collaboration with the government's Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department.

The IIU rector said policies of lending institutions were to promote the interests of most advanced western countries. The standards for environmental protection in the WTO regime make it difficult for developing countries to compete in the free market, he added.

"The WTO rules are a kind of weapon used in the new era of world business." Replying to a question about the measures taken by the government to face the WTO challenges, Mr Rahman said changing the attitude of waiting for the government should be the first step towards dealing with the WTO. The industrialists should come forward, create a fund and establish laboratories for improving product quality, he added.

He said the businessmen should follow the government's policies in countering challenges to national economy. The global trends in business have exposed a nation's industry to the test of the international standards of productivity. An industry will lose out, if its productivity is not sufficiently higher than its foreign rivals, he added.

Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department director-general Dr Akhlaq Hussain said the agriculture sector was a crucial indictor of the economic development of the country.

"We have to cover our limited land and water resources through improvement in production technology," he added. The government is keen to facilitate seed sector that includes more than 425 seed companies.

Earlier, Dean Faculty of Management Science Prof (Dr) Khalid Rashid said the WTO regime was a ground reality and "we will be facing frustrating situation once it is fully operational".

The adoption of the WTO trade rules would result in both opportunities as well as threats, he added. Dr Rashid said knowledge and people with knowledge were the key factors in progress and prosperity.

He said the IIU had started WTO training courses to enhance the capacity of stakeholders and enable them to carry out their business in accordance with the global requirements.

The university has designed and launched short courses and is the only institution offering a PGD programme in the WTO. It has trained over 110 people from public and private sectors through these short courses, he added.