CNI News
23 Dec 2022
As substandard products and foodstuffs are imported from Thailand and China, the Food and Drug Administration has been urged to take action against importing such products, according to economists and public health workers.
Importing substandard products hurts the interests of consumers.
The FDA of Myanmar has failed to inspect substandard and expired products and seems to be working only for companies seeking approvals for imports of drugs and foodstuffs, an economist told the CNI.
FDA announces substandard foodstuffs.
He told the CNI, "The FDA is responsible for suppression of harmful food and drugs in the market. And the Consumer Protection Department under the Ministry of Commerce is also responsible for protection of consumers. They have to take action against importing products that hurt the interests of consumers such as substandard products in terms of quality and fake goods when complaints are made to them and they are required to inspect such products. They work only when they are pressured by their superiors. They are just prioritizing applications for approvals from food and pharmaceutical companies."
Thailand manufactures products that are 18 percent lower in quality than the domestic market to exports to neighbouring countries, according to a Myanmar national manufacturing cosmetics in Thailand.
China is also known for exporting cheap and low quality products to less developing countries.
An FDA team inspects foodstuffs.
As Myanmar has been importing low quality consumer products and foodstuffs from Thailand and China for many years and the FDA has failed to inspect them, such products are still imported into Myanmar, Ko Thar Gyi, a labour activist for Myanmar workers in Thailand told the CNI.
He said, "Government employees, especially those from the FDA, are responsible for imported goods. They should not be corrupt. When expired or harmful products are imported into the country, they cannot conduct proper inspections. No one pays custom duties for all products they import from Thailand. Customs officers collect duties per truckload of goods. They never think about goods that are harmful for the public. The FDA also fails to inspect the products in markets."
Myanmar imports more low quality products from Thailand as the people think Chinese products are lower in quality than Thailand, according to importers.
