Sirim should set up food bio-tech testing centre: FSI
Published on: Thursday, March 30, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: The Federation of Sabah Industries (FSI) said Sirim Sabah should not wait to set up a plant and food bio-tech testing centre in Sabah. In a statement, the body said there could already be a need in the State for a standard requirement, bio-tech food certification, plant extraction and equipment calibration and a need to set up plant or herbal extraction facilities. "The centre either could be set up by themselves (Sirim) or in collaboration with local universities to support crop growers, SMEs food processors and biotech companies to carry out testing and analysing the nutrients and medicinal values of Sabah's unique plants," it said here on Wednesday.
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FSI said this following a courtesy visit by a delegation from Sabah Sirim Berhad here to note the ongoing feasibility study on product testing and certification and whether local industries require more services from them. Citing that many countries including China also accept Sirim quality endorsed products, it said Sirim Sabah should not wait to carry out research to identify industry needs, adding that it should instead work closely with FSI and business organisations in Sabah to convince its headquarters and minister-in-charge to set up such facility here. Sabah Sirim is presently limited to a certain extent due to the lack of requests, tests and present testing and calibration can only be carried out in the Kuching and Johor Bahru branches. As a result, the existing procedures, which entail time and higher costs members have to wait long to obtain approval.
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Sirim Sabah is presently conducting a state-wide survey to gauge the actual demand for the various types of product testing services required by local industries in the State. It is also working closely with the Industrial Development and Research Department (DIDR) and FSI to get the study done.
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It is also noted that Sirim is in the process of evaluating its role here to provide additional resources and whether it's viable here based on the finding of the local industries. Towards this end, FSI urged its members and the Sabah industry players who require testing facilities to complete and submit those survey forms while urging Sirim Sabah and DIDR to sit down with FSI and work out demand projections.FSI, however, cautioned that justification for the setting up of standards testing facilities in Sabah or in Kota Kinabalu does not rest solely on completed survey forms but more importantly, the government must adopt a holistic approach by taking into account the future demand as mentioned. "The demand for such services is also becoming increasingly dire with the anticipated increase in economic activities in tandem with major infrastructure developments taking shape and the eventual transformation of Sabah as the new regional hub."For the sake of the industry, FSI would like to forge closer rapport with both Sirim and CIDB to work on how to best serve the Sabah industry and to come up with solutions that will benefit the industry," said FSI, adding that members had to wait long to obtain the Certificate of Approval (COA) by CIDB on the importation of construction products thus incurring hefty demurrage charges through no fault of theirs.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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