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Myanmar had entered into FLEGT VPA negotiations in curbing imports of sub-standard products, preventing unfair
2013 to ensure timber legality. However, these negotiations trade practices and ensuring the safety of consumers as well
stalled in 2019. as the environment.
Since 2013 the Myanmar Forest Certification Committee The Economic Times of India has reported the Minister

(MFCC) has been developing the Myanmar Timber Legality said, “India will have to aspire to become a manufacturer of
Assurance System (MTLAS), further strengthened by PEFC high-quality goods and services and it should be recognised
and ITTO-supported projects. globally.”
Despite these efforts, major international markets have Make quality a default setting in product manufacturing
questioned Myanmar’s timber legality citing concerns linked A government press release provides more on the concept
to the country's low Corruption Perceptions Index and weak ‘Make quality a centre stage of industry, a default setting in
law enforcement along supply chains. product manufacturing’, suggested by Shri Piyush Goyal.
Compounding these challenges, the Myanma Timber The press release reads “Union Minister of Commerce
Enterprise (MTE), the sole legal entity for delivering round & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal during his valedictory speech

and squared logs continues to face sanctions. In Myanmar, at the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM)
timber processed and exported must originate from MTE Symposium today in New Delhi urged the industry captains
sources to be considered legal, leaving the sector heavily and stakeholders in attendance to make quality the centre
reliant on a sanctioned institution. The current government stage of the industry.
has maintained a logging ban while promoting the use of He further urged the participants to make quality a default
plantation-sourced logs. setting in product manufacturing and not an option for the
The MFCC is working toward the certification of Myanmar's customers.

first plantation forest under the Myanmar Forest Certification Shri Goyal praised IFQM for taking the industry-led initiative
Scheme aiming to ensure both legal and sustainable timber on quality and said that changing mindset is the largest
production. impediment to India’s adoption of quality.
Shri Goyal noted that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi
INDIA has always put quality at the core of the Government’s
Focus should be on producing high-quality products efforts in building the nation. He added that the PM's vision
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry has urged of ‘Zero Defect and Zero Effect’ has been at the forefront
the manufacturing sector to focus on production high-quality of his governance for the past two terms to make India a
products to tap global markets as export competitiveness

cannot come from government subsidies or support.
He added, export competitiveness is not going to come EscapeArtist
from closing the doors to the rest of the world.
The government is expanding the range of products covered
by Quality Control Orders (QCO) to boost manufacturing in
the country.
As of 2014 only 14 QCOs covering 106 products were

issued, but in the last 10 years, the government has issued
as many as 174 orders covering 732 products aimed at