- Investigation shows how private firms are working affairs of government regulatory body
ISLAMABAD: In unexpected revelations, the commission of inquiry of ministry of Food Security and Research (MoFS&R), created to investigate “hegemony”. of private firms in one of important department of the ministry, department of Plant protection (PW) showed the ugliest picture of how a government regulatory body is influenced and run on group of private companies and mafia.
15-page report prepared by the committee on directives of Prime Minister’s Secretariat and submitted to the MoFS&R Secretary, discloses how a powerful mafia practically runs DDP affairsespecially chief role of separation, fumigation process of all imported and exported agriculture items.
Committee chaired by Rashid Mahmoud, former Additional Secretary-II of MFISR (currently acting as secretary power) was assigned to investigate the dispute over import of Methyl bromide (MB), used for fumigation and monopoly in this area.
Hearing complaints about monopoly of company in DPP, prime minister office in In December 2021, the Ministry of Food was tasked with addressing these issues and fix duty for any offense that may have occurred in in past.
committee, which also included Syed Ahsan Mumtaz (Co-Secretary) and Mr. Shahid Abdullah (Director of DPP) as members, later presented a report secretary IFAD at the beginning of this year but the ministry left the same secretly without any further action, apparently after the change of government in center.
According to the Report of the Investigation on Methyl bromide Registration and import for Phytosanitary fumigation, copy of exclusively available with this scribe, committee made it clear what for practical purposes, it seems that DPP does not more subject of the federation at the time of issue of biosafety and phytosanitary certificates concerned.
On the contrary, it is influenced by run fumigators who virtually control the entire value chain of in business. Such regulatory capture usually associated with high level of corruption. Majority of department employees compromised and/or scared of do something against mafia for fear of effects, says Report.
In its conclusions, the commission found that current senior positions in DPP are not staffed by scientists/entomologists who is there any trick for law enforcement and do not have ability withstand external pressure while performing their regulatory strength. Consequently current Organogram and recruitment criteria cannot serve a purpose of regulatory law enforcement with high stakes.
According to the document, there is a subculture of corruption, slander, infighting and evasion of responsibility that seeped into the very roots of in organization. The General Director (DG), all directors and deputy directors are part of of in problem not a solution, even if some of they may not be financially corrupt.
The committee reported that it was interesting that the importer of Methyl bromide and fumigation companies were all one party due to which there is not only a monopoly, but also also higher cost levied on importers/exporters of fumigators. decision about law price of fumigation cannot be left to private actors if volume of private actors business this is result of regulatory action.
The government can neither allow unverified shipments nor allow inspectors declare the respective shipments non-conforming. first will serve the interests of agricultural traders and second serve the interests of fumigators. In case of collusion of agricultural traders with departments, it would jeopardize the biosecurity of Pakistan. reputation as well as safety of own agroecology in home.
If the fumigators conspire with department, it will increase cost of import and export and lead to unjustified profits. Fumigators have successfully maneuvered and practically took over DPP regulatory functions.
“This is a classic case. of regulatory capture through private sector. An organization with regulatory power either stop the ship from sailing, or stop one from unloading play chaos if it doesn’t keep it high of organizational integrity”, report says. it says DPP current a lot of of workers as a class have lost the fundamental spirit of integrity is so important for does its job well” says Report.
“Own employees in senior level recognized that they were making monetary gains from fumigators at the institutional level (office space operating expenses, etc.). Them behavior illustrates clear penchant for the fumigation business, which cannot happen without an incentive for private financial growth. fact that even some of Class IV employees own personal vehicles, which they regularly use as stated senior officers in their statements explain the institutional decline of the DPP. This state of affairs points to total surrender to the fumigation mafia and accept of corrupt practice as a way of operation”, says Report.
The committee also advised that M/s Adeel Pesticides and Manufacturing is the sole distributor. of MB on on behalf of of Т/с “National Chemical Substances”. Notably, this distributor of MB also fumigator. Although 50 fumigators are registered with DPP, MB has only been distributed to three fumigators, namely M/s Pentagon Fumigation, M/s Pest Management Services and M/s Tahir Fumigation Services. Although 50 fumigators are registered with DPP, only six consumed 98% of MB during 2021.
In addition, M/s Pest Management Services and M/s Pak Pansy Fumigation operate from the same physical address. Similarly, M/s Progressive Fumigation and M/s Pentagon Fumigation Services also registered in one address. Thus, the committee concluded that in the first place, four fumigators control 98% of fumigation business in Karachi.
In addition fact that the sole distributor is also fumigator and supplies MB only to three main fumigators, thereby forcing the rest out of market indicates the existence of strong market power in arms of cartel. it adds that the merchants of the Ahmad and Kamran ships, who tried to import MB, were punished through group serve the interests of monopoly.
Offering an immediate end to the cartel and the creation of a fair and competitive environment in DPP committee recommended concerned power review all laws and rules with a view to be able to register as many importers as possible of MB as is required break the monopoly.
Invites all Directors and Alternate Directors should to be removed immediately and should not to be posted in Any organization which has regulatory powers with financial rates. They can be used in purely technical roles in organizations without significant regulatory functions.
Organogram of DPP should be modified to include at least two directors who will head law enforcement teams and do not have to be entomologists/scientists.
Ideally, such officers can be recruited from the ranks of retired officers. of pakistani army rank of lieutenant colonel with clean reputation and having served for at least two years in any law enforcement agency in Karachi. The Committee recommended that formal disciplinary proceedings be instituted. against chain of officers who canceled various IPC for import of MB. Considering the upward trend in fumigationvia total fumigation of oilseed vessels during 2021, and show-cause notification was sent to the who was posted during that period.
According to Committee No. DG should to be posted from among the employees of the DPP. Each Director General will keep a close eye on the presence or otherwise of monopoly prices and must provide the secretary with evidence that a monopoly does not exist. When of his failure for this he should be released of his duties immediately.
To allow DG ensure non-monopoly pricing, laws and rules appropriate amendments should be made to enable the Director-General to receive any data/information from fumigators to fix price of fumigation per cubic meter periodically. An assetsIt is necessary to initiate an unscheduled investigation against all directors and deputy directors of department.
It could be added here that mandate of DPP to enhance phytosanitary capabilities of country and check the spread of pests and diseases on harvest. Grows out of something earth and any subsequent derivatives need phytosanitary cleaning and biosecurity cleaning before entry into international trade. In other words, no agricultural products can be imported. in or exported from Pakistan without certified as safe from pests and diseases. Fumigation is a means ensure biosecurity of suspicious shipments. Fumigation market in Pakistan is a multi-billion dollar industry and MB is the main fumigant.
