Makhdoom summons meeting of MoC, TDAP on July 15

Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Faheem will mediate between his ministry and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to resolve the issue of amendment in the Authority's ordinance. The minister has called an urgent meeting of high-ups from both the ministry and TDAP in Islamabad on July 15 where the minister would try to resolve disputes between the two government bodies, sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday.
TDAP, according to the sources, has prepared all necessary documents/statements to prove that no change in the present set-up was needed and the ministry should rather resolve other outstanding issues, most prominently the reconstitution of TDAP's Board, the approval of the authority's Financial Rules, release of the funds announced under the new Trade Policy and others.
According to the sources the proposed amendments in the ordinance, scripted by the ministry were to give all powers to Secretary Commerce while, TDAP, an autonomous body would be a puppet of the ministry. But the Chief Executive (CE) TDAP on the other hand was not ready to accept the amendment. Besides the amendment issue, the meeting of Board of Directors comprised of 25 members including Minister for Commerce, the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive, TDAP as Vice Chairman, was not held over the last two years, they added.
Most of the members of present board, having 28 members were unable to attend the authority's meetings for one reason or the other, which badly affects the working of the board and causes delay in decision making, sources added.
In the planned meeting under the minister, sources said, it was not clear that whether the ordinance issue would be resolved or not but the minister was likely to take a decision over the reconstitution of TDAP's Board. It was suggested that TDAP board meetings could be easily convened if the board was reduced to reasonable size.
The minister, sources said, was satisfied over the performance of TDAP after the record export of the country during the financial year 2010. In the meeting, TDAP was likely to raise the issue of its financial rules, which was yet to be approved by the concerned authority.
The authority, according to sources, would also demand the early release of over Rs 4 billion allocated under the trade policy for new trade initiatives as the authority was unable to pay for many projects and incentives to exporters announced under the new trade strategy. TDAP in its presentation would ask the minister to fill over 120 vacancies as the authority's routine works were also suffering for lack of manpower, they added.