His Excellency Mr. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Commerce and Industry and Acting Minister of Finance, has delivered the first tracking number to QLife Pharma.
The handing over of the tracking number occurred in the presence of Qatar Development Bank (QDB) CEO, Mr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, and H.E. Mr. Mohamed Hassan Al-Malki, Assistant Undersecretary for Industry Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
This comes on the occasion of QDB’s inauguration of the Qatari Product Coding and Tracking Office, in a step that is the first of its kind in Qatar, and in appreciation of the efforts made by the pharmaceutical industries sector in the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.
H.E. Mr. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari said on this occasion: “The launch of the Qatari Product Coding and Tracking Office comes within the framework of the country’s strategy and efforts to improve the quality of national products and enhance their competitiveness in all local, regional and global markets. Furthermore, it is an affirmation of the remarkable development Qatar has achieved in the industrial sector.”
His Excellency added that this step “constitutes an incentive for the private sector to continue its efforts toward the development of local industries and the enhancement of their production and export capabilities in a manner that supports their expansion and access to global markets.”
On his part, Mr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa marked the importance of this step for Qatari companies, adding: “After obtaining the approval of the General Assembly of the GS1, we worked diligently to establish an office in Doha. Today we celebrate the launch of the first Qatari product with a national tracking number, and we aspire for this step to be the start of new horizons for our national products, whether at the level of local or international circulation, in order to achieve our strategy and Qatar’s national vision.”
QLife Pharma obtained the first Qatari tracking number, starting with 630, to be the first company in Qatar to obtain the national tracking code. It will be followed by many national companies in the coming period.
It should be noted that this initiative comes in the midst of the efforts made by the Ministry in coordination with QDB to create a tracking code for Qatar and locally manufactured products, which will contribute to facilitating many local commercial operations, whether in terms of product movement or circulation, or in terms of traditional or electronic international commercial operations.
The presence of a tracking number on products facilitates the process of identifying all product details, from its source to the details of its validity, components, and in some cases its price. Previously, Qatari producers used tracking numbers belonging to foreign countries to distinguish their products.
For its part, the Qatari Product Coding and Tracking Office invites all Qatari companies, whether those investing in the local market or companies working to export their products abroad, to submit their requests to obtain a national tracking number for their products starting from 23 May 2021, or to visit the registration website via the following link: www.GS1.qa
Qatar secured last year the unanimous approval of the GS1 General Assembly to establish a barcode office for Qatari products. Qatar has been assigned the code 630 for locally manufactured products, which can be exported or traded within the country.
Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry