The case of the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) soybean import took a new turn of events when it emerged on Saturday that the commodity was imported without the requisite import licenses.
In a letter sent to the climate minister, the All-Pakistan Solvent Extractors’ Association (APSEA) claimed that, in line with global guidelines, the association had applied for an import license, for Food, Feed or Processing (FFP), in March 2018 with the Ministry of Climate Change.
Their application included detailed risk assessment reports from the exporting as well as importing countries, with other prescribed information, they said.
Subsequently, in August 2020, the National Biosafety Committee (NBC) formed a sub-committee to evaluate the application as the Pakistan Biosafety Rules 2005 lacked a proper application process method for FFP applications. The final approval was still awaited.
When contacted by the Express Tribune, the food secretary did not respond – despite repeated attempts. However, the climate secretary told The Express Tribune that he was not in picture of the situation.
Despite the lack of import licenses, two ships had reached country whereas seven more ships were yet to reach Pakistan’s port, said sources.
In another move, sources claimed that government had mulled over a decision to destroy the consignment of two ships already offloaded, to deter importers from attempting to reexport the confiscated shipments.
With regards to the seven ships sailing the high seas to reach Karachi’s Port Qasim, sources said, importers were considering declaring the shipment as non-GMO soybean/canola despite being GMO in an attempt to resolve the issue.
Sources also revealed that this decision was being tipped by a key minister in an attempt to resolve the issue of the illegal import of GMO soybeans.
The shift in the events, however, has put the Ministry of Food and the Department of Plant Protection (DPP) in a very difficult position. They are being forced to accept the false declaration and allow the release of the GMO soybeans and canola containers.
Meanwhile, the federal food minister wrote a letter to the prime minister asking for the initiation of a detailed inquiry into the illegal import of the seed. He also sought an investigation into how the import of GMO soybeans and canola had continued without the license prescribed under the Cartagena Protocol and Biosafety Rules.
If this inquiry takes place, sources believe, the officials of the DPP, customs and importers of APSEA and the Poultry Association will be found responsible for this high-level import scam.
The issue has been ongoing since October, when the first two shipments of the vital GMO oilseeds were stopped at Port Qasim as they did not have the necessary certification from the Ministry of Climate Change.
Around 615,648 metric tonnes of soybeans and canola, worth about $445 million, distributed in nine vessels (two soybean vessels unloaded, two soybean and two canola vessels off-port and three canola vessels are on their way to Port Qasim and are expected to arrive on December 10.
Of these, payments of around $110 million have already been remitted, while the remaining $335 million is committed through established Letters of Credit (LCs).
Pakistan has been importing around two million tonnes of soybeans annually for the last eight years on regular basis from the US and Brazil under an interim arrangement between the DPP and the respective National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs).
Similarly, around one million tonnes of canola are being imported annually for the last 20 years, mainly from Canada and Black Sea/Australia.
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