FHAN urges government to bring domestic bar code

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Nepali exporters are preparing to introduce a domestic bar code system in its exportable products.

Federation of Handicraft Associations of Nepal (FHAN) along

with the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) is planning to coordinate with the government to introduce a domestic bar code system in the country.

“We are going to organise an interaction programme with the government and the private sector to focus on the need of a bar code system in our country,” said president of FHAN Bikash Ratna Dhakwa.

According to Dhakwa, to get an international bar code for the country, FNCCI must acquire membership at the Brussels bar code registration office.

“Only if the government coordinates with us and allows FNCCI to register in Brussels, will Nepali exporters under FNCCI be allowed to issue their own bar codes from the Brussels bar code registration office,” he said.

A bar code is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it is attached. Originally, bar codes represented data by varying widths and spacing of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or one-dimensional.

Later, they evolved into rectangles, dots, hexagons and other geometric patterns in two dimensions. Bar codes originally were scanned by special optical scanners called bar code readers. Later, scanners and interpretive software became available on devices including desktop printers and smartphones.

Though Nepali products have their own share in the international market, the government has not introduced the bar code system. “The government is more focused on control mechanism rather than facilitating trade and business,” said immediate past president of FHAN Pushkar Man Shakya.

However, he added the government has gradually started realising need to introduce international practices in local trade and business for the benefit of the country.

Currently, Nepal has been using Chinese and Indian bar codes in its products which are exported to other countries. “As we are compelled to use the Chinese and Indian bar codes, we are losing our identity in the international market,” said Dhakwa.

According to Dhakwa, either the importers use their respective

bar codes or the exporters themselves use Chinese and Indian bar codes in Nepali exportable products. Exporters have to also pay royalty for using the Chinese and Indian bar codes.

“We are facing tough competition in the international market which has also increased the need to have our own bar code system

to show our existence and our product origin,” said Shakya.