ISLAMABAD: The Council of Common Interest (CCI) has finally decided that the provincial food authorities will enforce food quality grades set by Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA).

PSQCA spokesman told Dawn that the food industry had been demanding the federal and the provincial governments to eliminate multiple standards set by different food authorities in the country.

“PSQCA will give food standards which will be implemented by provincial food authorities. This important reform will significantly ease doing of business,” PSQCA spokesman Rehmatullah Memon said.

The food sector had maintained that it was not possible for the packed cooked and semi-cooked industries to meet different standards of food authorities of four provinces and the federal government.

However, it has been decided that the PSQCA, an attached department of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), will be sole authority to formulate standards for the food items, while the respective provincial food authorities would implement them in their jurisdictions.

The PSQCA has issued an online application system to facilitate industrialists, businessmen and manufacturers for registering their products for certification mark license with effect from Sept 1.

Earlier, the provinces were not ready to accept the role of PSQCA as the sole body for registering, monitoring and implementing consumer items.

A senior official of the Punjab Food Authority said that the reluctance to accept this proposal was because in the past the PSQCA had failed to ensure implementation of quality standards across the country due to limited human resource.

As a result Punjab established its own food authority followed by Sindh, the official added.

“Besides, checking the quality standards of food and edible items was the mandate of the provinces after the 18th Amendment,” the official said.

As the food sector expressed concern to the federal government, the matter was sent to the Ministry of Law, which was later sent to the CCI, with the recommendations that PSQCA would formulate the quality standards while the provincial food authorities would implement it.

Sources in the MoST said the key hurdle to the implementation of unified quality standards was the attitude of provincial food authorities as they were reluctant to amend their existing regulations whereas the PSQCA wanted to have the powers to enforce and monitor standards across the country.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2021