UNISAME URGES GLOBAL EXPORT PROMOTION OF GI ITEMS

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has felicitated all the stakeholders especially the ministry of commerce (MINCOM), the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) for drafting the geographical indications (GI) bill and pursuing it to make it law and urged all to promote exports globally strategically.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said now that the bill is passed by the national assembly and earlier approved by the senate, it is imperative that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the trade associations put in their best efforts to enhance exports of all our GI items vigorously to traditional and non traditional markets. Secondly he also advised the SME exporters of GI items namely basmati rice, Multani mangoes, Sargodha kinnos, Kasuri methi, Sindhi ajrak, dandicut chillies of Kunri, Peshawari chappals and many other items to focus on their own trade marks (TM) and brands and improve their packing and maintain the bench mark and reputation of the GI items which have become popular over the centuries.
Thaver urged the IPO, Registrar of Trade Marks, the TDAP and the trade associations to work together and resolve the trademark issues of basmati and also co-ordinate to protect the rights of all stakeholders in national interest.
Thaver thanked the UNISAME convener of TM and IPR committee Asif Hayat for his valuable input on the subject and guidance and all experts who helped UNISAME throughout the process of achieving the status for GI law.

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