Public-private partnership in food security stressed

LAHORE

Promotion of public private partnership in food security is vital for a healthy society. In a civilised world, all government institutions perform properly on both food security and safety issues while all the economic and business institutions support them. 

Public awareness about hygiene rules plays a key role in healthcare because health issues are growing due to corruption and adulteration. 

The Punjab government has extended its operation against the adulteration to all districts of the province. 

These views were expressed by the experts in the Jang Economic Session on ‘Experts opinion on government action against the sale of substandard items’.

The panellists were Noor-ul-Ameen Mengal, Javeria Qais, Sohail Lashari, Ahmed Shafiq, Dr Abdul Karim and Sajida Mir. The session was hosted by Sikandar Lodhi. 

Noor-ul-Ameen Mengal said that establishment of the Punjab Food Authority aimed at ensuring food security and food safety with the support of all public private institutions.

He said operation against adulteration was being expanded to 36 districts by December 2017 while performance of the institutions in Lahore was much better as compared to other parts of the province which would bring a change in quality of food in the coming years.

He said Punjab health programme would be helpful in reducing the government expenditures in health sector and reduce the disease rate.

He said packing and packaging industry would also grow with the implementation of Food Safety Act.

He said the Punjab Food Authority would award those eateries who maintained cleanness at their sale points which would encourage people of this sector besides availability of quality foods.  

Javeria Qais said non-existence of social justice was a major issue as laws existed in Pakistan but not implemented.

She said provision of expensive food items in posh areas of Lahore was a guarantee of quality while quality should not be compromised at any cost.

She said sale of substandard items on roadside was also a cause of corruption. She said strict action against wrong-doers should be ensured without any political influence. 

Sohail Lashari said health issues were growing due to corruption and adulteration. He suggested promotion of public private partnership in food security and called for creating awareness about adulteration.  

Ahmed Shafiq said the establishment of Punjab Food Authority would was a positive step of the government and the process of revisiting the regulations was continued.

He called for taking the all stakeholders on board in evolving the food industry regulations. 

Dr Abdul Karim said all stakeholders should be taken in confidence while making law and strict action should be taken against the violators. He said all meat shops should be established in accordance with the hygiene rules while no compromise should be made on quality.

He said incentives should be given to those who were selling hygienic food to promote the sale of quality food items.

Sajida Mir said the sale of substandard items was a sensitive issue as it was directly related with the public health and no one should be allowed to play with public lives for profit while sale of adulterated items was like playing with humanity.