Govt okays draft bill for regulatory body after interception of rice exports by EU.

Zafar Bhutta

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to set up the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority following interception of rice export consignments by the European Union (EU).

The existing departments of quality control have failed, therefore, the government has decided to set up a new authority for maintaining better quality standards to meet international requirements.

The federal cabinet was informed that a recent inquiry into 72 rice export interceptions by the EU in 2024 revealed the organisational incapacity of the existing department of the food ministry responsible for quarantine control functions.

In a recent meeting with rice exporters, National Food Security and Research Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain expressed concern about the challenges facing rice shipments, according to a statement.

He noted that it was alarming to encounter such issues and alerted that the EU had warned to halt exports of Pakistani rice. He urged the rice exporters to address the problems promptly.

In the past, Russia had also banned exports of rice from Pakistan over quality issues and the government took a long time to get the ban lifted.

The inquiry highlighted deficiencies in the ministry responsible for quarantine and exports of agricultural commodities. The investigation revealed the outdated nature of the organisational structure and the inability of the existing department to address the challenges of 21st century trade dynamics.

The inquiry proposed replacing the current system with an independent, globally compliant regulatory body. Consequently, the proposal to establish the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority was floated.

Pakistan’s exports were not aligned with the international market access requirements for agricultural products. This misalignment was primarily due to the limited institutional capacity to enforce sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards.

In a recent meeting, the cabinet was informed that the expansion of agricultural exports was proportionate with the growth of the agri-economy. However, compliance with the regional SPS regulatory regime under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) remained inadequate.

A Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) project from 2006-16 and a 2023 Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) report identified the root cause of the issue, which was the country’s inability to enforce SPS standards effectively.

Reports recommended the establishment of a regulatory framework to ensure compliance with global guidelines. This framework will improve the back-end supply chain and help Pakistan gain better access to the international agri-markets.

The cabinet was informed that a draft bill for the food safety authority had been submitted to the National Assembly in 2017. However, it was not passed due to the dissolution of the assembly before the 2018 general elections.

In 2024, the draft bill was resubmitted to the Law and Justice Division, which advised obtaining fresh approval from the federal cabinet before presenting the bill to parliament.

The prime minister approved the submission of the draft bill in the federal cabinet for approval in principle. Accordingly, the matter was submitted under Rule 16(1)(a), read with sub-rule (1) of Rule 27 of the Rules of Business, 1973.

The cabinet considered a summary dated December 30, 2024 titled “Draft Bill for the Establishment of National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority,” submitted by the National Food Security and Research Division.

The cabinet approved, in principle, the draft bill for the establishment of the National Food Safety, Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Authority.

Published Date: January 14, 2025