KARACHI: Government should form a ministerial task force and an experts’ advisory council on urgent basis to ensure the rights of consumers across the province related to food safety and quality and price control.
Sharjeel Inam Memon Sindh Minister for Information, Archive, Commerce and Industries at 6th Consumers Food Saftey and Quality Conference (CFSQC) 2013 on Tuesday said economic growth and prosperity were linked to the consumers’ rights and their freedom of choice for using products of different qualities. The consumers should be ensured to have access to quality products and foods, which is related to their health and lives. On the other hand, the protection to genuine businessmen and their brands in the country is indispensable to attract investment from country to international level, he added. Sindh Minister urged NGO’s and think tank of consumers right to help government in the formation of task force and experts’ advisory council for protection of consumers’ rights, directing Consumers Association of Pakistan (CAP) for supporting provincial government to ensure consumers’ fundamental rights.
Memon said an exclusive bill would be tabled soon by the parliamentarians in Sindh Assembly for taking action against companies, which were unregistered and non-compliant of hygienic standards for producing food products. The provincial government is committed to facilitate businessmen community and industries through conducive policies and environment, urging that the federal government should play its role to reduce cost of production through taxes. S M Munir a leader of business community, AbBakar MamaConsuel General Malaysia, GulzaFiroz President FPCCI, Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan, MiaZahidHussain President Pakistan Business and Intellectual Forum, AsadAlaMahani Director General Punjab Food Authority, Pir Buksh Khan JamirDG PSQCA, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui Commissioner Karachi also spoke.
Malaysian Palm Oil Council has supported the event while PSQCA and Punjab Food Authority are the strategic partners. Kukab Iqbal Chairman CAP said Sindh government should ensure the protection of consumers’ rights through laws and legislations as the provincial government has been observed as weak for law enforcement through Consumers Act though the situation was comparatively better in three other provinces of the country. He said government’s writ and revenues would be flourished with the protection of business and consumers fundamental rights in the province. Different NGO’s, university teachers and experts will also cooperate government in recommending its policy framework, he added. The conference highlighted various issues of consumers’ protection, their health and standards of edible products being sold out in various consumers markets of Pakistan.
It envisions assembling experts of consumers protectionists, health and products standards under one roof to raise issues with participants and policymakers regarding the violation of consumers rights and its disadvantages to society. Dr Prof Jehan Ara chairperson Food Science and Technology University of Karachi, Dr Abdual Jabbar Sheikh DG Health Regulation and Quality Control KMC, Ms Tahseen S Bhombal, Faisal Iqbal regional manager of Malaysian Palm Oil Council and others highlighted the importance of the event. -Dailytimes
