Recruitment of 'Trade Officers' abroad: TDAP officers deprived of foreign postings

A number of officers working at Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) are facing a disappointing situation after they were deprived of the chance to become 'Trade Officers' abroad, a lucrative job sought by most government officers from the commerce and trade group.
These officers, who are currently working in BS-18, 19 and 20, were busy in the Expo Pakistan 2012 held here in the first week of October, while the recruitment process was going on in Islamabad during the same dates. According to sources, affected officers were misguided by senior officials of the organisation who had assured them regarding giving them a chance for recruitment after the country's mega event.
TDAP's Acting Secretary, who, according to sources, had asked the applicants of the posts to perform their duties at the Expo Center, was in Islamabad for eight days and the affected officers are desperately trying to restore their candidature for the important posts. They, however, are now unlikely to get the chance as the written test for the posts had already been held.
Interestingly, the written test for the positions was completed through Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Islamabad by the Ministry of Commerce and interviews of short-listed candidates were currently under way. The ministry, the sources claimed, had paid as much as Rs 2.5 million to LUMS for holding the test and evaluation. According to TDAP sources, the authority had requested the authority concerned and LUMS to hold another test for officers who were unable to appear previously. However, it is learnt that the institution was reluctant to organise a second round of exams.
The affected candidates also reportedly sent a number of letters to the ministry and TDAP in this regard without any success. Earlier, the Ministry of Commerce had called back outgoing trade officers and commercial attachés by August 31 this year after the completion of their four-year contracts.
The principal responsibilities of trade officers are to enhance Pakistan's reputation as a reliable trading partner, develop favourable commercial relations between trading enterprises in Pakistan and the host country, besides ensuring that relevant governmental bodies, commercial organisations and the Pakistani export community had up-to-date knowledge of trading conditions and export prospects and opportunities in foreign countries.
Trade Officer are also supposed to collect and interpret economic information and help formulate trade policy and export strategy by disseminating such information to appropriate organisations in Pakistan. They are also supposed to process trade inquiries. In addition, Trade Officers are also expected to attract foreign investment for Pakistan.