New Delhi, Aug 2 (KNN) In response to the repeated requests made by the Pharma Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) that are engaged in exports of not to penalise in case they fail to implement the barcode tags on products, the government has announced interim relief.

This move has been welcomed by the industry.

Talking to KNN, Kuljiv Mahajan, President of Ludhiana Drug Manufacturers Association informed about the latest development.

Mahajan said that the government had earlier made it mandatory to have the barcodes on the exports both at primary, secondary as well as tertiary levels. 

The previous deadline announced for getting it done was March 31^st, following which the government announced penal action against units that fail to do so.

The Pharma MSMEs were demanding the Commerce and Industry Department to go slow with the implementation and not to impose penalty on the industries. With the government announcing relief in this regard, it is certainly a positive announcement for the sector, he said.

Mahajan further added that the micro and small scale industries work on a very compact budget and it is not very easy for them to have all the necessary mechanism for the barcoding system in place this soon.

Mahajan added that the MSMEs in Pharma sector must be exempted from implementing the barcode system, or at least the government must step forward and help the sector to get the IT infrastructure. (KNN/ DA)