THE Department of Plant Protection (DPP) has taken an administrative plunge as the federal government yet again thwarted the courts’ attempt to appoint a full-time director general for the ill-fated department.

This was the second unsuccessful attempt by the courts in the last 20 years to appoint a head. The entire process, initiated on the instructions of the court in June 2016, was torpedoed by the federal government, which changed the rules of appointment at the very last minute. The government changed the nature of the post from a permanent one to an ad hoc appointment for the first year.

It withheld the results of the process and asked for permission to re-advertise the post. The next year was consumed by litigation between the candidates and the government before the court allowed re-advertisement in May this year.

The same thing occurred back in 2003, when the federal government advertised the post, held tests and interviews, and failed to announce the results. The department, which— according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics’ figures—handled around over Rs880 billion worth of fruits, vegetables, oil and pesticides imports this year, has been in shambles for the last two decades.

Its last permanent director general retired in 1998. During this period, 10 ad hoc director generals were hired, with their qualifications ranging from being member of the district management group of the Pakistan Administrative Service, member of the Federal Postal Services to being a pilot. One of them was also nabbed on corruption charges.

This has been the state of affairs in a department that provides the crucial link between Pakistan and the international markets. All imports and exports of fruits, vegetables, pesticides, edible oil, fisheries, poultry feed, and the entire range of living organisms are handled by it; without import permit from the DPP, no cargo can be released by the port authorities.

It is the plant protection department that allows licensing, regulation and registration of pesticides (a concern of around Rs25bn) and monitors imports of edible oil (another Rs125bn business). Furthermore, it checks phytosanitary certifications and requirements of food imports of over Rs332bn; and issues such certifications for exports (of around Rs168bn) of horticultural products.

The department, which handled over Rs880bn worth of fruits, vegetables, oil and pesticides imports this year, and exports worth Rs168bn of horticultural products, has been in a shambles for the last two decades

Since the DPP’s role is phenomenal, its failures have been stupendous. It is regularly blamed for the failing export regime because of its relaxed approach, lack of required infrastructure and professional leadership.

Of late, the blame for the resurgence of pink bollworm among cotton crop is laid at its door because cotton imports from India came in unchecked. The DPP did intercept a few consignments, but infrastructural poverty did not allow it to check them all.

The experts think that American bollworm also invaded Pakistan when American cotton came into Pakistan through different aid programmes. The department regularly gets flak for failure to maintain pesticides’ standards as crops keep failing all over the country.

The rice controversy threatening Pakistan’s rice exports worth Rs200bn is also laid at the department’s door. Its alleged failure allowed genetically modified rice into the country.

On the export front, things are not any better. The DPP is supposed to issue certifications needed for import permits at the foreign ports.

Seven mango consignments were intercepted by Australia this year and over 20 shipments of mangoes and chillies were detained by Europe, compromising chances of horticulture exports and besmirching the name of the country. As if this was not enough, consignments of wheat exports were also returned by Vietnam because they contained Khapra beetle.

The incident of sick Australian sheep, which were imported and slaughtered here, is still fresh in the country’s memory. Experts think that lack of leadership and infrastructure in the plant protection department has led to these failures.

Critics, however, believe that failure to develop required infrastructure is also corollary of leadership failure as the director general’s post was mostly used by cronies to mint money.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, August 6th, 2018