SARSO testing lab in Dhaka planned

Removal of non-tariff barriers

The South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO), a specialised body of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), is planning to set up a ‘state-of-the-art’ testing laboratory in Dhaka, with the aim to remove nontariff barriers in regional trade among the member states.
According to foreign ministry officials, the establishment of such a laboratory will help boost trade within the region.
Since its inception some 30 years ago, the SAARC region has been suffering from integration problems with regard to trade. Trade among the eight member states accounts for only five per cent of the total trade.
SARSO, which is one of the two specialised bodies of SAARC, has already decided to obtain funds from foreign sources to set up the laboratory, a foreign ministry official told The Independent.
The SARSO headquarters were set up in Dhaka last year and have already started operations.
“We need the conformity assessment laboratory, which can certify the standard of any product. This will be accepted by all SAARC countries,” the official said.
Bangladeshi exporters often complain that they face non-tariff barriers, including problems of standardisation, when exporting to India or other SAARC countries, he said.
“In the next one or two years, we will set up the standards for the priority products that will be tested in the laboratory,” the official said.
The priority products are those that have the major share of the trading basket of a country. Many products are traded among the countries, but agriculture, dairy and confectionary-related products, along with some industrial products and raw materials, have the lion’s share of the trade basket, he said.
Another foreign ministry official said the German testing organisation, PTB, is helping SARSO develop its capacity.
SARSO has also approached ISO and International Electronics Technical Commission (IEC) in order to sign a cooperation deal with them, he said.
The official explained, “It will have manifold benefits. If SARSO can ink the agreement with them, its certified products will also be accepted in European and North American markets.”

SARSO testing lab in Dhaka planned

Removal of non-tariff barriers

The South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO), a specialised body of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), is planning to set up a state-of-the-art testing laboratory in Dhaka, with the aim to remove nontariff barriers in regional trade among the member states. According to foreign ministry officials, the establishment of such a laboratory will help boost trade within the region. Since its inception some 30 years ago, the SAARC region has been suffering from integration problems with regard to trade. Trade among the eight member states accounts for only five per cent of the total trade. SARSO, which is one of the two specialised bodies of SAARC, has already decided to obtain funds from foreign sources to set up the laboratory, a foreign ministry official told The Independent. The SARSO headquarters were set up in Dhaka last year and have already started operations. We need the conformity assessment laboratory, which can certify the standard of any product. This will be accepted by all SAARC countries, the official said. Bangladeshi exporters often complain that they face non-tariff barriers, including problems of standardisation, when exporting to India or other SAARC countries, he said. In the next one or two years, we will set up the standards for the priority products that will be tested in the laboratory, the official said. The priority products are those that have the major share of the trading basket of a country. Many products are traded among the countries, but agriculture, dairy and confectionary-related products, along with some industrial products and raw materials, have the lions share of the trade basket, he said. Another foreign ministry official said the German testing organisation, PTB, is helping SARSO develop its capacity. SARSO has also approached ISO and International Electronics Technical Commission (IEC) in order to sign a cooperation deal with them, he said. The official explained, It will have manifold benefits. If SARSO can ink the agreement with them, its certified products will also be accepted in European and North American markets.