Ministry of Commerce And Supplies - Enhanced Integrated ...

N T I S20102. The DoA has the personnel and expertise to carry out PRAs for traded plants and plant products;3. While there is no certified laboratory operational in Nepal, significant efforts are underway to upgradefacilities and build human resource capacity at the NBSM and the DFTQC to test for agrochemicalresidues and food-borne human pathogens. A similar, though more modest, programme is underwayat the DoLS laboratories. This type of testing is requested and carried out by the Indian Government inthe absence of credible certification being available to Nepalese exporters to produce with their exportdocumentation.Weaknesses:1. The Nepalese government has found it difficult to retain staff in the past, most especially those who arethe recipients of in-service capacity-building training programmes. There is a danger that the currentbeneficiaries of the EU-funded UNIDO capacity-building programme may well be similarly lured awayby better opportunities once the programme comes to a conclusion;2. The primary need for SPS support for exports is in the field of TCP. The type of training/expertiserequired in this field is gained primarily via implementation, i.e. putting these systems in place in aworking (private sector) situation. Therefore, the necessary expertise generally does not reside in thepublic sector;3. The private sector is reluctant to use public services (such as laboratories) because of a perception thatthese are weak and below standard.WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Enquiry PointsNepal’s WTO SPS enquiry points were reviewed in detail earlier in this chapter. These have been set up andare functional. However, a higher degree of professionalism is necessary, including updating websites/contactdetails and dealing promptly with queries. Currently, the SPS/CODEX enquiry points are the beneficiaries ofan extensive EU-financed/UNIDO-led infrastructural and capacity-building exercise and it is important that itsmomentum be maintained during and after this programme.Infrastructure of Government and Private Sector LaboratoriesCurrently, there are no laboratories in Nepal that carry out internationally recognized testing in foodcomposition and food safety. The need for accredited laboratories for animal and plant health testing isnot so pressing (animals and animal products are not really traded and plant pest/disease taxonomy can beverified using alternatives to accredited laboratories). Outside of the laboratories at the DFTQC and the NBSMthere are a handful of private sector laboratories that only have Nepal Laboratory Accreditation Scheme(NEPLAS) accreditation, which is not internationally recognized and, therefore, currently of no value for tradepurposes.Capacity of Existing Infrastructure in Plant Health, Animal Health, Food SafetyThe most significant weakness in Nepalese export certification infrastructure at present is the lack of acceptablepesticide residue testing (and therefore certification) for the range of plant exports, including those listed inTable 8.4. In effect, this lack of capacity has a number of implications which ‘cascade’ down to the harshregime being imposed by Indian officials at the border posts of compulsory consignment testing for pesticides.Since India has ratcheted up its compliance with CODEX (or even EU) agrochemical MRLs, by extension thismust apply to importers of foods into India, including Nepal.As discussed in more detail earlier, as a first step the pesticide approvals, active ingredients, formulations,application rates, and withholding periods need to be reviewed in light of the changing MRLs, which have inmany cases moved to the LoD in the EU. Following this is the need for the long-term goal of developing a ‘duediligence’ approach by Nepalese exporters which would reduce the required intensity of testing (discussedbelow). This absence affects all exports of plant based food exports from Nepal.NEPAL TRADE INTEGRATION STRATEGY 2010BACKGROUND REPORT203