Govt moves to fast-track NAFSA rollout

August 04, 2026 (MLN): The government is pressing ahead with plans to operationalize the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) within the next few months, positioning it as a technology-driven, single-window platform aimed at overhauling how agricultural imports and exports are regulated in Pakistan.

The initiative is designed to lift regulatory efficiency, tighten food safety oversight, ease the cost of doing business, and cut through the administrative red tape that has long slowed agricultural trade.

The progress was reviewed at a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, attended by Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Agriculture and Food Safety Ahmad Umair, Secretary National Food Security Amer Ali Ahmad, Director General NAFSA Imran Mohmand, and other senior officials, who briefed participants on the Authority's operational readiness, said a press release issued.

Per the briefing, NAFSA is being built as a state-of-the-art regulatory body that will serve as a single window for agricultural importers and exporters, enabling faster and more transparent processing of trade matters.

Plans are also underway to launch a dedicated helpline, an AI-powered chatbot on the Authority's website, and official social media channels to guide stakeholders.

On the institutional front, NAFSA is adopting a merit-based governance and HR framework, with recruitment routed through an independent scrutiny committee and a dedicated, market-competitive pay structure meant to draw talent from the private sector as well.

Staff will be engaged on three-year contracts subject to quarterly performance reviews, with renewal tied to performance; notably, none will attain regular or permanent employment status during their tenure at the Authority.

The Authority's Board of Governance has been strengthened to safeguard institutional autonomy, with the Director General and Secretary answerable to the Board, while major policy decisions including new posts and pay-scale revisions will require Federal Cabinet approval.

An Acting Director General currently heads the Authority, with the search for a permanent, private-sector Director General still underway.

Participants were also told that no Department of Plant Protection (DPP) staff have been absorbed into NAFSA, though a limited number will assist temporarily during the transition.

Meanwhile, newly recruited NAFSA officers are undergoing specialized training at the Customs Academy Karachi under national and international experts to build modern inspection and regulatory capacity.

The meeting further reviewed NAFSA's planned inspection system, under which agricultural consignments will be examined without direct interaction between inspectors and importers or clearing agents, with third-party audits validating inspection reports to reinforce transparency and accountability.

Ahad Cheema commended the progress made so far and reaffirmed the government's commitment to building a world-class institution to replace outdated regulatory systems.

He termed NAFSA one of the most consequential institutional reforms in Pakistan's agriculture sector, one expected to ease the business environment for traders in plants, seeds, and other agricultural products by cutting delays and red tape.

He directed that integrity and strict rule-adherence be maintained from NAFSA's very first day of operations, and called for awareness campaigns to inform traders and stakeholders of the Authority's services ahead of its launch, voicing confidence that NAFSA would help modernize Pakistan's agricultural trade regime and strengthen international confidence in the country's regulatory system.

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