Cost of Regulations in Developing Countries

The largest potential constraint to commercialization of transgenic products is regulatory delay. Direct regulatory costs are significant but generally smaller than technology development costs. However, unexpected regulatory delay in product release "overshadows both research and regulatory costs." Direct regulatory costs, nevertheless, are declining within countries as they gain experience with more products. These were findings of a study on Cost of compliance with biotechnology regulation in the Philippines: Implications for developing countries by Jessica Bayer and colleagues.

The authors noted that regulatory systems must make sure that the steps in the regulatory process must be followed without omitting steps needed to protect public safety and the environment.

For the full study published in the online journal Agbioforum, visit http://www.agbioforum.org/v13n1/v13n1a04-norton.htm