Unisame URGES SME units to attain higher benchmarks

The Financial Daily 17th October 2024

KARACHI: The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) held a meeting to commemorate
World’s Standard Day on 14th October 2024 and urged the SME sector to strive for international standards
and achieve high benchmark, says a Press release.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said in order to meet global challenges it is very important to upgrade products and services to match international market requirements.
He called upon national institutions and all stakeholders to increase their efficiencies, productivity and focus on safety, reliability and quality which are the theme.
He emphasized the need for very efficient pre-shipment, phyto-sanitary and quality control systems and in this
connection called upon the Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), PCSIR and Plant Protection
Department to ensure 0 tolerance regarding products and services deviations from specifications.
Thaver complained about substandard fumigation medicines, insecticides and pesticides.
Secondly he lamented on employment of inexperienced staff and not fully trained inspection & quality control officers and supervisors.
Thirdly he called upon trade associations to hold training sessions to educate their members on aspects of quality control to give their customers
their money’s worth and value.
Haider Raza Convener Facilitation Committee and Hussain Ali Convener Logistics Committee also stressed on
efficiency, experience and effectiveness of preshipment inspections,fumigation, well equipped storage
systems, quality control.
Other participants lamented corruption, speed money charged at ports and disclosed that staff of government
offices have their own interest/share in service provider companies and favour those exporters who come
through them. They said all this must end so that
important aspects of quality and values are not compromised.
A leading exporter Abdul Rasool said
Pakistan can increase its exports of
rice, sesame seeds, maize, flour,
crops, vegetables, fruits and general
merchandise if quality control and
phyto-sanitary inspections are
upgraded.

Posted in: Press Releases