ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: The Ministry of Science and Technology has protested over the inordinate delay in the approval of biosafety laws that was causing losses worth billions of rupees every year to the national economy.

The National Commission on Biotechnology (NCB) is estimating that approval of biotechnology laws could save up to Rs3 billion out of Rs8 billion currently spent on pesticides for cotton crop alone every year.

The science ministry is accusing the ministry of environment and local government for delaying the biosafety guidelines through involvement of foreign consultants. The biosafety laws were finalized early last year by the National Commission on Biotechnology (NCB) constituted by President Gen Pervez Musharraf, but could not be taken to the cabinet for approval so far.

When contacted by Dawn, Dr Anwar Nasim, the NCB chairman and advisor to OIC standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (Comstech), expressed very critical views and said he was surprised as to how come the guidelines could not even be considered for 20 months.

He said no agricultural product or new technology could be released for common use unless it was tested for one year after guidelines were put in place.

“I am fed up and I am giving up,” said Dr Anwar Nasim, who said that while the president had declared biodiversity and biotechnology as priority area, the environment ministry was using delaying tactics.

He said the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) had allocated $100,000 grant for Pakistan to develop biotechnology products but the opportunity was lost. All Saarc countries have already introduced biosafety laws except Pakistan and Nepal.

In a letter to the secretary environment and local government, the National Commission on Biotechnology has pointed out that “biosafety guidelines have been pending with your ministry for over a year”.

This situation is creating hurdles in the development and commercialization of various biotech products including transgenic crops which have been developed by several research institutions and universities of the country.

The biosafety guidelines were prepared and finalized by a national biosafety experts committee set by the environment ministry through a gazette notification.

“The guidelines have been evaluated by all the provinces, civil society, NGOs and all other stakeholders and finally reviewed by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP),” said Dr Kausar Malik (SI.TI) in the letter.

Kausar Malik is also a member of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC).

The federal minister for science and technology, Dr Attaur Rehman, also wrote to the minister for environment emphasizing the urgency for the approval of these guidelines and was told that these guidelines would be submitted to the Pakistan Environmental Council or the cabinet.

More than one year has passed, but unfortunately no action has been taken, the minister was quoted as telling the environment ministry.

The environment ministry is now contemplating on hiring an Australian consultant to review these biosafety guidelines.

Dr Kausar said: “I want to reiterate very strongly that all such exercises have already been done and the National Biosafety Committee has already taken into account all the existing biosafety guidelines of different countries while preparing the guidelines. In my opinion, this exercise will unnecessarily delay the approval of these guidelines and will not achieve any meaningful result.”