Experts at a meeting of special body of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) here on Monday resolved to introduce a single standard for different chemical-based products for the entire region. They expressed this commitment at the two-day 3rd meeting of the special body which started on Monday.
The meeting is being hosted by Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) which is the National Standard Body of Pakistan under the administrative control of ministry of science and technology.
The inaugural session was chaired by Muhammad Zaheer, Chairperson Sectoral Technical Committee of SARSO, while Manager Afghanistan National Standard Authority Mirza Muhammad Ayubi, Dechen Chiphel from Bhotan, Senior Deputy Director Sri Lanka Standard Institution DS Fernando, Assistant Director Gayani Manchanayake, Programme Officer SAARC Secretariat Khatmando Manzoor Riaz, Tashi Wangchuk, Khawaja Ghulam Muhayyuddin from SARSO Secretariat, Secretary PSQCA Ghulam Umer Qazi, Director Akhtar A. Bhugio, Wasim Mirza, Syed Iqbal, Nazir Hussain, Ahmed Nadeem Iqbal, Khurram Mateen, Asghar Ali, Miss Aini Zahra and other local experts from PSQCA and other industries also attended the event.
Indian and Bangladeshi experts also participated in the meeting through video conference and they made a comparison of different standards of SAARC countries on toilet soap, shampoo, hair color, cosmetics and other health care products.
Expressing their commitment to make one standard for entire region, experts also resolved to remove all the bars in making standards for SAARC countries so that trade among these countries can be promoted. All the experts talked and expressed their point of views in building standards on chemical and chemical products for SAARC countries and briefed the participants.
Closing ceremony of the two-day meeting will be held on Tuesday which will be chaired by Federal Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology Government of Pakistan Yasmeen Masood, DG PSQCA Engr Khalid Siddique, experts of standard bodies of SAARC countries and local industry.
It may be mentioned here that SARSO is an organization of standard bodies of SAARC countries including Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, Afghanistan National Standard Authority, Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institute, Bureau of Indian Standards, Nepal Bureau of Standard and Metrology, Bhotan Standard Bureau, Ministry of Economic Development Male and Sri Lanka Standard Institute and it has been formed to promote coordination among the SAARC countries on standardization for the SAARC countries.