The Hindu Business Line : GM soya oil import rule deferred

The decision mandating pre-import clearance for import of soyabean oil crushed out of genetically modified (GM) soyabean has been postponed till March 31, 2007. The decision was earlier postponed by three months to July 7, 2006.

On April 7 this year, in the new export/import policy, the Commerce Ministry imposed a condition for import of GM soyaoil that prior permission will have to be obtained from Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment.

Oil can flow

With the second postponement of the decision (notified by Director General of Foreign Trade on July 20), imported soyabean oil can flow into the country unhindered. The Government will not bother whether the oil is of GM-origin or not. Overseas sellers who have been facing uncertainty over the Government policy can now breath easy, for at least eight more months.

Questions are being raised about the sudden decision to effect a second postponement, that too for an extended period of eight months. The possibility of strong American influence in this postponement cannot be ruled out. Overseas interests have been lobbying against the policy decision.

It is a measure of the ineptness of policymakers and poor coordination among concerned ministries that the policy relating to import of GM food products and labelling of such products for sale in the domestic market has not taken off the ground.

Inept policy

As suspected then, the policy was conceived in haste last year. It is unclear what considerations lay with the Government to come up with fancy restrictions like pre-import clearance.

Indeed, in the past, GEAC and other agencies responsible for according clearance to imported GM products failed to check import of food products, including soyabean oil and maize suspected to be genetically modified. At the time of policy formulation, there probably was no meaningful assessment of wherewithal and infrastructure (in terms of human resources, equipments) required for implementing the policy prescription.

As the policy covers import, processing, inspection and health issues, too many ministries have to be involved in this exercise - Commerce, Food & Consumer Affairs, Health, Environment.

Good or bad?

By postponing the decision for the second time, the Government is making a laughing stock of itself in the global vegetable oil market. Either GM soya oil is good or it is not. If it is good, there is no reason to restrict it. If not, there is no reason to allow it.

Either way, it shows non-application of mind on part of policymakers.

The case for advancing consumer interest, which was the underlying principle for initially imposing restriction, can go into deep slumber in the meanwhile.

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