Saif Jonejo made EPZA chairman

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government has appointed Dr Saif ud-Din Jonejo as Chairman Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), as he has reportedly got the backing of a key group of Karachi-based businessmen, well informed sources told Business Recorder.

Export Processing Zones Authority is an autonomous body under the administrative control of Ministry of Industries & production (MOI&P), working under EPZA Ordinance, 1980 with the mandate to plan, develop and operate Export Processing Zones (EPZs) in Pakistan.

EPZA management consists of a Chairman to be appointed by the Federal Government for a period of three years, on such salary and allowances as may be determined by the Federal Government under Section 6 (1) (2) & (4) of the Ordinance.

The post of Chairman EPZA had fallen vacant on December 8, 2020 after termination of Shafqat-ur Rehman Ranjha. Stopgap arrangements were made by MOI&P with the approval of Cabinet giving three months additional charge of the post of Chairman EPZA to Rizwan Ahmed Bhatti, CEO, Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC).

Meanwhile, the position of Chairman EPZA was advertised through print media in the leading national newspapers in March, 2021. In response to the advertisement, forty-three applications were received. After scrutiny of applications, twenty three candidates were short-listed for interview by the Scrutiny Committee constituted under guidelines/instructions for the purpose.

EPZA chairman Ranjha's contract terminated

As per relevant Establishment Division O.M. of March 28, 2019 and July 26, 2021, a selection committee comprising the following was notified on August 5, 2021: (i) Minister for Industries & Production( Chairman); (ii) Dr. Ishrat Hussain, the then Advisor to PM for Institutional Reforms (Member); (iii) Secretary, Ministry of Commerce (Member); (iv) Secretary, Ministry of Industries & Production (member); (v) Member Customs, FBR (Member); and (vi) President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCC&I), Karachi.

After conducting the interviews on 10th August, 2021, the Selection Committee except Dr. Ishrast Hussain who did not participate after his resignation, had selected a panel of following three candidates in order of merit/score: - (i) Dr. Saif-ud-din Junejo (marks 45/50); (ii) Seema Shakil (43/50); and (iii) Saeed Ahmed Sheikh (43/50).

The Establishment Division and Finance Division had conveyed their concurrence on October 11, 2021 and October 26, 2021 respectively. Necessary integrity check of all the short-listed candidates had also been obtained and placed on record.

The candidate so finalized for appointment for the post of chairman EPZA should be entitled to a proposed salary package which was equivalent to maximum of MP-II scale along with its admissible allowances.

The MoI&P requested the Federal Cabinet to approve one candidate out of the proposed panel for appointment as Chairman EPZA. The Cabinet approved the name of Dr Saif ud-Din Jonejo for three years. The selected candidate has been backed by a key businessmen group of Karachi and Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, the sources added.

The Ministry also requested the Federal Cabinet to regularize the period from March 8, 2021 till date served by Rizwan Ahmad Bhatti CEO, PIDC without any financial remuneration as stop-gap arrangement.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021