‘Make Nepal standard mandatory for goods to be imported’

Kathmandu: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Damodar Bhandari, has said the ‘Nepal Standard (NS)’ mark should be made mandatory for all goods imported to Nepal.

Speaking at the 115th meeting of the Nepal Council for Standards held on Friday, Minister Bhandari said many countries require imported goods to meet national standards, and Nepal should adopt the same practice. “This is important for the welfare of consumers,” he viewed.

Nepal imports a wide range of products- from daily consumer goods to industrial equipment. According to the Minister, substandard imported goods have negatively affected public health, the economy of consumers and the national economy. “Therefore, enforcing the NS mark on imported goods is essential,” he iterated.

The Minister also shared that the Ministry’s priorities include formulation and implementation of effective market policies and strengthening of the Nepal Council for Standards (NC) monitoring system.

The meeting discussed procedures for granting the NS mark to domestic products, improving NS criteria, enhancing market monitoring, and controlling the import of substandard goods, it has been reported.