The South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO) has finalized the harmonization of standards on six products including refined sugar and biscuits.
“The South Asian standards for sugar, biscuits, hessian, two types of cotton and jute have been finalised,” SARSO director general Syed Humayun Kabir told the Prothom Alo at his office on Monday.
After a final nod from the SAARC countries in March, the process will begin for SAARC standards to be followed in the case of these products in regional and international trade.
It has also finalised a general code of hygiene for products of South Asian countries. This will remove bottlenecks and facilitate smooth regional trade among South Asian countries.
Established in Dhaka, the regional standards organization comprising eight South Asian countries, SARSO, has received recognition from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). This will give SARSO the scope to follow ISO procedures in determining the regional standards for various products. It will also open doors for products following SARSO standards to enter international markets.
At the 15th SAARC summit held in Colombo in 2008, the decision was taken to create SARSO to accelerate regional trade among SAARC countries as well as to ensure easy entry of products into the global market. The eight member-states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) also signed an agreement in this regard.
Source: Prothom Alo
