The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has urged everyone who wants to deal in products that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to ensure that they get permits from the authority to avoid having their products seized and destroyed.
NBA Communications Officer Sandra Lombe said individuals that fail to adhere to these regulations can be fined at least 100,000 penalty units, face 10-15 years imprisonment or both in some instances therefore it is important for everyone to adhere to these conditions.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Lombe said no one has been fined or imprisoned yet because most of the people found wanting are first time offenders but other people should not take advantage of that.
“We seize and destroy products if permits are not produced which is enough punishment because these people suffer losses, imagine you have a truckload of goods worth thousands of kwacha or dollars and these goods are destroyed, it means you have wasted time, money and the profits you would have accrued from the products, she said.”
She also said that it is easy for people to get permits that allow them to trade in products that contain GMOs, therefore it is disappointing to find that some people have chosen not to comply.
“We urge everyone who wants to deal in products that contain GMOs to get permits from the authority or copies of permits from their local distributors where they are getting their products from. They will get it for free from their distributor who is the one that pays therefore it is strange that some companies have continued to trade without permits, she said”.
Lombe said the authority has a mandate to regulate everyone and ensure the safety of humans, animals and the environment.
She has also noted that the number of people getting permits or having them renewed is impressive and this can be seen from the spot and compliance checks that are being conducted that a lot of people are complying.
Some stakeholders have called for the total ban on importation of products and especially foods containing GMOs to safeguard the health of the nation. The increase in cancer incidents and other health related problems among Zambia’s had been attributed to consumption of foods containing GMOs but no full study has been done to confirm these allegations.
