Govt mulls health documentation body to improve exports

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The federal government is mulling establishing a single health recognition authority to boost exports of agricultural and processed food items by meeting the recognition requirements of importing countries.

The commerce ministry has already formed a committee to examine the economic impact of having or not having such body and offer recommendations on the problem.

The committee headed by Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission member Abdul Bari is currently analysis the regulatory requirements for imports of agricultural and processed foods of different importing countries, specially the countries in the European Union and the Middle East region.

The other members of the committee include representatives from commerce ministry, Export Promotion Bureau, Department of Agricultural Extension, Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution, Department of Fisheries and Department of Livestock Services.

It has already held consultations meetings with stakeholders, including exporters, and is collecting relevant data to get ready its recommendations.

Trade officials said that the committee would also analyse the existing health product certification systems of the united states and would prepare its recommendations with impact of having and not having another certification authority.

They said that Bangladeshi exporters have been exporting a huge volume of agro and processed food items to a lot more than 100 countries around the world but export activities were being hampered in lack of a comprehensive health recognition process in the united states.

A member of the committee has told MODERN that formation of a separate health certification body was vital that you facilitate and boost exports.

Every importing country has some different qualification requirements for import of agriculture and processed food items, he said.

Neighbouring India in addition has such body named Export Inspection Council to provide for the problems, he said.

Officials said that the committee had already found opinions from DoF, DLS, Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters Association (BFVAPEA), Bangladesh Live and Chilled Food Exporters Association (BLCFEA), PRAN Group and Square Food and Beverage Ltd on the issue.

In line with the feedbacks given by the government offices and private firms, the country happens to be exporting fish and fish products to a lot more than 60 countries with health certificate from the DoF.

They said that export of Black Tiger (BT) Shrimp would increase after arrangement of a third-party qualification for shrimp firms.

DoF, however, said that it might be a hard task for a separate authority to supply specialised services that have been now being supplied by DoF, DLS and DAE.

The government rather can set up a one-stop service centre to offer all the services, including health certification, from an individual platform, it suggested.

Regarding halal meat and meat products, DLS said that it had taken several steps, including establishing numerous disease-free zones for animals in four districts based on the guidelines of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to improve export of the merchandise.

Currently, exports of meat and meat products, including halal ones, are facing problems because of absence of documentation of OIE for foot and mouth disease (FMD) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR), a viral disease, it said.

The BFVAPEA said that the export of agricultural products was facing hurdles as the prevailing certification system didn't meet the requirements of most importing countries.

Supporting the thought of establishing a single recognition body, the association said that it could boost export together with reduce the time of export.

Square Food and Beverage Ltd said that empowering a particular agency for providing health certificate will be a good solution.

The firm, however, recommended bestowing the energy on one of the prevailing authorities such as for example BSTI, DAE, EPB and Food Safety Authority, rather than setting up a new office.

PRAN Group, which exports processed food to 140 countries, also said that health certificate was a crucial and mandatory document for export to numerous countries.

Source: https://www.newagebd.net

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