Lambasting the Exim Policy changes announced by the Commerce Ministry, which has made pre-import clearance mandatory for genetically modified foods, a www.sify.com editorial has hinted that the India 's Federal Government is playing into the hands of certain influential sections in this matter.

"Lack of transparency in decision-making, vagueness in drafting the notification and inordinate delays in issuing clarifications are seen as distorting the market, helping speculators reap windfall gains," the editorial states.

"The policymakers seem to have suddenly woken up from deep slumber and realised that large quantities of GM foods are entering the country. The Environment (Protection) Act and its Rules have been in place since 1989, but none in the Government has bothered to implement the rules," the editorial is quoted by www.checkbiotech.org as saying.

Questioning the Commerce Ministry's move to keep its April 7 decision in abeyance, the editorial point out that speculators in the soybean oil market made a killing on the futures exchanges between April 7 and May 4 by "jacking up the price artificially by over Rs 4,000 a tonne". The price rise was unjustified given the demand-supply fundamentals.

For the complete editorial, click on this link: http://www.checkbiotech.org/Society&Economics/Socio-economics/documents