The government is accelerating efforts to operationalize the National Agri Trade and Food Safety Authority within the next few months, with the new institution being positioned as a technology driven single window for regulating agricultural imports and exports in Pakistan. The initiative is intended to modernize the country’s agricultural trade regulatory system by improving processing efficiency, strengthening food safety oversight, reducing the cost of doing business and addressing administrative delays that have affected traders for years. The progress of the authority was reviewed during a meeting chaired by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, where senior officials provided an update on NAFSA’s operational readiness and institutional arrangements.
The meeting was 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. Participants were briefed on the development of NAFSA as a modern regulatory body that will provide agricultural importers and exporters with a single point for handling trade related regulatory matters. The planned system is intended to make processing faster and more transparent while reducing the number of administrative steps currently required for agricultural consignments. By bringing relevant regulatory functions under a single window, the government expects NAFSA to make it easier for businesses involved in plants, seeds and other agricultural products to comply with import and export requirements.
Technology will form a major component of NAFSA’s operating model. The authority plans to establish a dedicated helpline and introduce an artificial intelligence powered chatbot through its official website to provide guidance to traders and other stakeholders. Official social media channels are also planned as part of the communication system, allowing businesses to access information and updates through multiple digital channels. The introduction of these services is expected to provide stakeholders with quicker access to regulatory information while reducing dependence on traditional administrative interactions. The government is positioning these digital tools as part of a wider effort to create a more accessible and responsive regulatory environment for agricultural trade.
NAFSA is also developing a merit based governance and human resources framework intended to attract specialized expertise. Recruitment will be conducted through an independent scrutiny committee, while the authority plans to offer a dedicated pay structure designed to remain competitive with the market and attract professionals from the private sector. Employees will be engaged on three year contracts and will undergo quarterly performance reviews. Contract renewal will be linked to individual performance, while staff will not acquire regular or permanent employment status during their tenure at the authority. The structure is intended to establish a performance focused institutional culture from the beginning of NAFSA’s operations.
The authority’s governance structure has also been strengthened to support institutional autonomy and accountability. The Director General and Secretary will remain answerable to the Board of Governance, while major policy decisions, including the creation of new positions and revisions to pay scales, will require approval from the Federal Cabinet. An Acting Director General is currently leading NAFSA, while the government continues its search for a permanent Director General from the private sector. The appointment process is expected to play an important role in establishing the authority’s long term leadership and operational direction.
Officials also clarified the relationship between NAFSA and the Department of Plant Protection. No Department of Plant Protection staff have been absorbed into the new authority, although a limited number of personnel will provide temporary assistance during the transition period. At the same time, newly recruited NAFSA officers are receiving specialized training at the Customs Academy Karachi. The training is being conducted with the involvement of national and international experts and is intended to strengthen the inspection, regulatory and technical capabilities required for the authority’s operations.
The planned inspection framework is another important element of the new regulatory model. Under the proposed system, agricultural consignments will be inspected without direct interaction between inspectors and importers or clearing agents. Inspection reports will also be subject to validation through third party audits. The structure is designed to reduce opportunities for direct influence during the inspection process while strengthening transparency and accountability. By separating inspectors from traders and introducing independent verification, the government intends to establish a more consistent regulatory environment for agricultural imports and exports.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema welcomed the progress made towards operationalizing NAFSA and reaffirmed the government’s intention to establish what he described as a world class institution for agricultural trade regulation. He described the authority as one of the most significant institutional reforms being undertaken in Pakistan’s agriculture sector, particularly because of its potential to reduce delays and administrative red tape affecting traders dealing in plants, seeds and other agricultural products.
Cheema also directed officials to maintain integrity and strict compliance with rules from NAFSA’s first day of operations. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the authority’s procedures are implemented consistently and transparently. The minister also called for awareness campaigns to be conducted before the launch so that traders and other stakeholders understand NAFSA’s services, procedures and responsibilities. The government believes that effective communication before the authority becomes fully operational will help businesses adjust to the new regulatory framework.
The planned rollout of NAFSA represents a broader move towards digital and technology enabled regulation within Pakistan’s agricultural trade sector. Its single window structure, artificial intelligence powered chatbot, digital communication channels, performance based staffing model and independent inspection framework are intended to replace older administrative processes with a more centralized and transparent system. If implemented according to the current roadmap, NAFSA could change how agricultural imports and exports are processed while strengthening food safety oversight and reducing compliance burdens for businesses.
The government is now focused on completing the remaining institutional and operational preparations so that NAFSA can begin functioning within the next few months. With staff training underway, governance structures established and digital services being developed, authorities are working towards creating the foundations of the new regulatory body before its formal launch. The initiative is expected to support more efficient agricultural trade, improve regulatory oversight and strengthen confidence among domestic and international stakeholders in Pakistan’s agricultural import and export system.
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