ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) has decided to forward the Competition Commission of Pakistan’s (CCP) proposal to revise national cement standards for disclosure of “manufacturing/expiry dates” on cement bags to the PSQCA for deliberation in the Technical Committee.

A CCP team, led by Member OFT Saeed Ahmad Nawaz, held a follow-up meeting with Ali Tahir, Additional Secretary (In-charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), to discuss the proposal to amend the National Cement Standards, making the ‘manufacturing/packaging and expiry/best before’ dates on cement bags mandatory.

The proposal was sent to MoST and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) as a policy note on March 7.

During the meeting, the member CCP emphasised the importance of these disclosures due to cement’s hygroscopic nature, noting that non-disclosure violates Section 10 of the Competition Act 2010.

He highlighted the current practice of manufacturers disclosing manufacturing/packaging and expiry/best-before dates individually on bags and collectively on bales for export but omitting them for local products. He stressed the need for a collaborative control mechanism involving all stakeholders.

The ministry pledged full assistance to the CCP in protecting consumer interests as mandated in Section 10 of the Competition Act 2010. The meeting decided that the matter would be referred to PSQCA for deliberations in the Technical Committee meeting, which is scheduled for May 7.

The participants of the meeting also agreed with member CCP’s proposal to convene a meeting with stakeholders, including the cement manufacturers association, to discuss the issue and inform them about potential enforcement actions.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2024