ISLAMABAD, Sept 15: Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Nouraiz Shakoor on Wednesday urged national institutions undertaking scientific and technological research to equip themselves with globally-accepted quality certifications to "overcome technical barriers to trade (TBT) being faced under the WTO regime".

"As we prepare for the WTO, we are about to enter an era of global competition among un-equals compared to us, developed countries have inherent advantages rooted in advanced technology," he said.

He was speaking at a ceremony held here to mark the award of ISO 17025 accreditation certificate to three PCSIR (Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) laboratories.

He observed that for a developing country like Pakistan it was necessary to keep pace with the requirements of TBTs that need to be well-understood by all entities and players that affect our trade directly or indirectly.

"To respond to technical challenges, the role of testing and calibration laboratories would be crucial," he said, urging national laboratories to respond positively and effectively to the challenges posed by the WTO.

The minister urged the PCSIR laboratories to pass on their findings to the producers and consumers alike to improve quality of product at affordable costs that continue to be a key to remain competitive in international markets.

Mr Shakoor said the government was fully committed to investing aggressively in the promotion of science and technology and already during the last five years a number of steps had been taken to enhance capacity and critical competence through appropriate funding.

He noted that budget allocation for science and technology had increased manifold during the last three years with thousands of scholarships being awarded every year for pursuing higher education in science.