Capacities for standards and testing
Friday, 7 January 2011
Amirul Islam
ENFORCEMENT of standards of goods and proper testing to determine their quality and other aspects is undeniably one of the vital areas to aid stepped up economic activities, specially in the area of exports. But that area still remains undeveloped in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) is the lone organisation in the field. But as a government-operated body it has for long been suffering from all the ills associated with bureaucracy, corruption and lack of proper equipment and all sorts of paraphernalia to do its work with effectiveness. If BSTI had been a functionally acceptable organisation to all inside and outside Bangladesh, then it could discharge an invaluable role in facilitating the export trade of the country. But in its current state, it has not been able to play such a role effectively for a variety of reasons.
This is to be pointed out that Bangladesh has otherwise some good prospects of trading with the north-eastern Indian states. Problems of smooth geographical access as well as the costs of freighting goods from the rest of India to these virtually land-locked states make Bangladesh a natural alternative source of supply of many of these goods to these states. But the expected large volumes of various types of goods from Bangladesh face entry problems in north eastern India as the Indian authorities have been considering BSTI-certified products as undependable. Some critics in Bangladesh have, thus, been prone to describing such restrictions as non tariff barriers. But in all fairness, the reality is that the Indian objections in many cases could prove to be valid on follow ups by any other dependable authorities.
In fact, charges are also made frequently by consumers from within Bangladesh itself about the nature of BSTI certification. It is alleged that BSTI's certificates of standards and testing can be purchased in some cases through graft. Rent-seeking instincts are alleged to exist in this organisation which make possible on the part of producers to obtain certification from BSTI that their products or produces have duly met the criteria as properly made or produced. In other cases, the certifications are issued based on lower than the normal level of testing that would be required to carry out the tests with full rigours. The lack of physical capacities of BSTI in terms of both equipment and manpower is noted to be the cause of this.
Bangladesh's exports to India and also to other economies can increase substantially through effective moves to build up world class centres for testing and standards within the country. If international standard such testing could be conducted in Bangladesh, then export operations by the businesses in Bangladesh could have conducted more smoothly in a better planned manner. A great deal more could then be exported by Bangladesh to the neighbouring and other countries.
Some other countries that import products from Bangladesh such as the European Union (EU), have also been found at times to raise objections. Sometimes they have even sent back export items like shrimps complaining insufficient testing for safety. Thus, BSTI urgently needs upgrading to overcome these problems on a lasting basis.
ENFORCEMENT of standards of goods and proper testing to determine their quality and other aspects is undeniably one of the vital areas to aid stepped up economic activities, specially in the area of exports. But that area still remains undeveloped in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) is the lone organisation in the field. But as a government-operated body it has for long been suffering from all the ills associated with bureaucracy, corruption and lack of proper equipment and all sorts of paraphernalia to do its work with effectiveness. If BSTI had been a functionally acceptable organisation to all inside and outside Bangladesh, then it could discharge an invaluable role in facilitating the export trade of the country. But in its current state, it has not been able to play such a role effectively for a variety of reasons.
This is to be pointed out that Bangladesh has otherwise some good prospects of trading with the north-eastern Indian states. Problems of smooth geographical access as well as the costs of freighting goods from the rest of India to these virtually land-locked states make Bangladesh a natural alternative source of supply of many of these goods to these states. But the expected large volumes of various types of goods from Bangladesh face entry problems in north eastern India as the Indian authorities have been considering BSTI-certified products as undependable. Some critics in Bangladesh have, thus, been prone to describing such restrictions as non tariff barriers. But in all fairness, the reality is that the Indian objections in many cases could prove to be valid on follow ups by any other dependable authorities.
In fact, charges are also made frequently by consumers from within Bangladesh itself about the nature of BSTI certification. It is alleged that BSTI's certificates of standards and testing can be purchased in some cases through graft. Rent-seeking instincts are alleged to exist in this organisation which make possible on the part of producers to obtain certification from BSTI that their products or produces have duly met the criteria as properly made or produced. In other cases, the certifications are issued based on lower than the normal level of testing that would be required to carry out the tests with full rigours. The lack of physical capacities of BSTI in terms of both equipment and manpower is noted to be the cause of this.
Bangladesh's exports to India and also to other economies can increase substantially through effective moves to build up world class centres for testing and standards within the country. If international standard such testing could be conducted in Bangladesh, then export operations by the businesses in Bangladesh could have conducted more smoothly in a better planned manner. A great deal more could then be exported by Bangladesh to the neighbouring and other countries.
Some other countries that import products from Bangladesh such as the European Union (EU), have also been found at times to raise objections. Sometimes they have even sent back export items like shrimps complaining insufficient testing for safety. Thus, BSTI urgently needs upgrading to overcome these problems on a lasting basis.