3 - 9 February 2000

FOI complains over "sub-standard" imported detergents

by Anthony Manduca

A number of local detergent manufacturers have complained to the government through the Federation of Industry over the alleged presence of "sub-standard" imported detergents in Malta. The manufacturers are claiming that these imports contravene the 1980 Washing Up Liquids Order (part of the 1971 Quality Control Act) which states that the finished product of any washing up liquid shall possess an active matter content of not less than 21.5 per cent. The manufacturers are claiming that various imported brands contain an active matter content of between 6 - 15 per cent.

One industrialist told The Malta Business Weekly that in the discussions held with the government prior to the removal of industrial levies, local manufacturers of detergents had only one request, namely that the law was applied to imported detergents as it is to locally produced products. The law, however, makes no mention of imported products.

In a letter to Economic Services Minister Josef Bonnici, the Federation of Industry asked for the removal of such imported products from the market. "Moreover, administrative arrangements should be applied on an ongoing basis to ensure that sub-standard products should not be given importation clearance in the first place," it said.

The FOI said: "It is indeed not fair either for the consumer or for the local manufacturer especially now that no protective levies exist on detergents and therefore local firms do not enjoy any advantage over competing imported products. The FOI must at this stage urge government to apply all necessary safeguards to assist local industry. The Malta Standardisation Authority needs to ensure that minimum standards laid down by law are being adhered to without fail".

The FOI also brought up the question of anti-dumping regulations. "We must insist that Anti-Dumping Regulations should not be a topic to be relegated for discussion in business conventions and in the Malta-EU screening sessions. Government needs to act without further loss of time to implement an Anti-Dumping Code which should be modelled on that approved by the EU and that this should be operational as a matter of urgency".

The FOI concluded: "We ask you to take steps on the immediate problem about detergents and to consider a programme for the transportation into Malta's laws and urgent implementation of the EU Anti-dumping legislation."