| Danial Norjidi |
THE Asean Cosmetics Committee (ACC) works to ensure that cosmetic products used by people in the region are safe, as well as to help maintain the right balance between regulators and stakeholders while also ensuring that trade is not impeded.
This was highlighted yesterday by Syed Sagoff Alsagoff, Senior Officer at the Trade and Facilitation Division of the Asean Secretariat while speaking in an interview with the Bulletin on the sidelines of the 25th Asean Cosmetic Committee Meeting yesterday at the Rizqun International Hotel.
He explained that the ACC is comprised of the Asean Cosmetic Testing Laboratory Committee (ACTLC) and Asean Cosmetic Scientific Body (ACSB), “one which provides assistance on product testing, another one that looks into the ingredient list, what is permitted and so on to ensure that all the products that are circulated in the Asean market are safe for consumers”.
“This is in accordance with the Asean Cosmetic Directive which was signed in 2003 and in 2008 it moved from a registration system to a notification system.”
“There is full engagement during each meeting with stakeholders as well. If you see this meeting there are more than 100 stakeholders coming in to assist and share what problems they face and will come together with the regulators on the same table to discuss layout and what is the best approach to the certain issues they face.”
Syed Sagoff Alsagoff, Senior Officer at the Trade and Facilitation Division of the Asean Secretariat speaking to the media. – AZROL AZMI
The meetings discuss current issues being faced by member states, ingredients listings on new releases as well as current developments happening in the cosmetics industry in the region and around the world.
On the importance of ACC Meetings, he said, “We have a population of over 600 million here, and we are servicing the community of Asean.”
“We work here together with their stakeholders as part of public-private partnership engagement whereby both of us work together for the betterment of the community itself.”
“What we do down here is discuss on all the important aspects relating to consumer safety. The end goal is consumer safety, so we have the regulators and the stakeholders to maintain the right balance and make sure that trade will not be impeded, and consumers are well protected at the same time.”
This, he affirmed, is for the wellbeing of the Asean people to ensure that the products they use are indeed safe.
Ellys Haji Mohammed, a Pharmacist at the Department of Pharmaceutical Services of Brunei Darussalam’s Ministry of Health also spoke with the Borneo Bulletin on the sidelines of yesterday’s event.
She explained that the Department of Pharmaceutical Services is tasked with implementing the Asean Cosmetic Directive in Brunei Darussalam.
“When the Asean economic ministers signed the agreement in 2003, the aim was to remove trade and technical barriers with regards to cosmetic products, so that there are no barriers for the products to travel from one Asean country to another Asean country.”
She explained that ACC meetings discuss technical requirements, such as ingredients of cosmetic products.
“During this meeting we can discuss and agree on what is the recommended limit for Asean, so that when a product is imported into one country from another Asean country, the requirement is the same, is harmonised, and there is a free-flow of goods.”
She also highlighted, “All cosmetic products must be notified to the Ministry of Health through the Department of Pharmaceutical Services before they are imported into Brunei Darussalam.”
On yesterday’s meeting, she noted that they had received a very good response from the overseas Asean industry. “We have received more than 100 participants from the Asean industry. We also have some participation from Brunei.”
A member of the industry from Brunei in attendance yesterday was Ummi Atiyah Nasibah binti Haji Abdul Rahman, Administration Manager and Sales Coordinator at M.S. Makmur Trading Company.
“The law is that cosmetics that come into our country have to be notified, so we as distributors have a responsibility to make sure that whatever we bring in is safe for human usage. So we try as best as possible to make sure that we stick to regulations,” she said.
“As a distributor, we are very confident that the Brunei government are doing all they can to make sure that it is safe, so we make sure that whatever we bring in is actually in line with their standards,” she added.
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