Administration of Biosafety Act

The Biosafety Act (Act No. 7 of 2006) provides for measures to regulate activities involving the research, development, production, marketing, transport, application and other uses of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and specified products derived from GMOs; to establish a Biosafety Council and define its powers, functions and duties; and to make provision for incidental matters.

Biosafety Act, 2006 (Act No. 7 of 2006), Regulations were gazetted on 01 November 2016. The Commencement date of the gazette indicate the starting date that GMO’s are regulated through the Biosafety Act,2006. The declaration of Products Derived from or Containing GMOs for Purposes of the Biosafety Act, 2006 were gazetted in October 2018. Consequently, Biosafety Act, 2006, Guidelines for GMO’s Confined Field and Environmental release were developed in 2018. Any person who carries on any activity with or in relation to a GMO or GMO product for which a permit is required by the Biosafety Act 2006, must, if he or she wishes to continue with that activity, apply for a permit within 120 days after the publishing of GMO Product List Gazette. Currently applications for Permit to Place on the Market GMO’s has been launched with the Biosafety Council.