The federal cabinet on Wednesday upheld its earlier decision to dissolve the "corrupt" Engineering Development Board (EDB) of Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P). In May last year, the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) headed by the Prime Minister had decided to dissolve the EDB due to rampant corruption there. The federal cabinet on July 13, 2017 endorsed the decision of the CCoE.
The sources said that incumbent Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, then Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, had supported winding up of the EDB which, according to him, is a corrupt organization.
Minister for Industries and Production, Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi also supported dissolution of EDB.
Ministry of Industries and Production, in its summary, prepared by an informal "consultant" a copy of which is available with Business Recorder argued that that there is a dire need to have an entity that is designed to foster technological development, promote R&D and creates an enabling innovative environment with quantifiable and empirically observable metrics based on key performance indicators. The informal consultant is said to have also made efforts to get the post of CEO, with the help of few officials of the Ministry, who had allegedly received heavy amount in lieu of Brownfield licence.
The Ministry further stated that by virtue of the Board's technically-proven background, it possesses a cutting edge capacity to augment and enhance the engineering base of Pakistan. The Board is designed not only to serve as the regulatory arm of this Ministry, but it is also tasked with examining and scrutinizing all the MoUs related to trade policy, engineering practices and knowledge sharing for the Ministries of Commerce, Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Board of Investment (BoI).
The EDB has the inherent capacity and intrinsic capability to identify the technological gaps in small, medium and large-scale manufacturing industries by having the relevant and necessary joint venture partners guided by the principles of international best practices.
According to the summary, Board's pragmatic efforts and solution-based interventions in business plans, effectively countered the mercantilist and myopic lobbying of many pressure-groups with vested interests. For the last three decades, the automotive market was dominated by PAMA (Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association) members only. With the formulation of the new ADP 2016-21, Pakistan's automotive market is now based on an even and competitive playing field with participation from Korean, Chinese and French OEMs. The Board's move in this direction would over time result in effectively dealing with supply and demand issues, which result in monopolistic overpricing of automobiles.
The Ministry of Industries and Production in its summary sought earnest approval of Cabinet but when the summary came under consideration, the cabinet turned down the summary and maintained its earlier decision.
The Cabinet is said to have been urged to review the earlier decision regarding disbandment of the Engineering Development Board , as that step would adversely impact the industrial sector with deleterious long-term consequences and collateral damage to the nascent national innovation system.
"The cabinet maintained its earlier decision to dissolve the EDB of the Ministry of Industries and Production," said an official statement.
The country's auto industry has expressed astonishment on the decision of federal cabinet.
A press release adds: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chaired a meeting of the Federal Cabinet at Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday.
The Cabinet ratified the decisions taken by the Cabinet Committee on Energy (CCoE) during its meetings held on 2nd and 3rd April, 2018, said a press release.
The Cabinet accorded approval to Special Forces Training Agreement between Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Pakistan Army for training in Nigeria.
The Cabinet ratified recommendation of Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases (CCLC) in respect of proposed amendments in Rule 26 of the Drug (Licensing, Registering & Advertising) Rule, 1976 and Amendment in the Jammu and Kashmir (Administration of Property) Rules, 1961.
The Cabinet accorded approval for appointment of Kamran Basharat Mufti, D&SJ, as Presiding Officer in the Intellectual Property Tribunal, Islamabad.
The approval was accorded for repatriation of Azam Anwar Baloch, Judge, Special Court (CNS.I), Karachi and appointment of Ghulam Mustafa Memon, District & Session Judge (BS-21) as Judge Special Court (CNS.I), Karachi in his place.
The Cabinet approved appointment of Shahid Masood Manzar as Chairman of Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue.
The approval was accorded for amendments in the Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act, 1973 and placement of the amended bill before the Parliament.
The Cabinet accorded approval for signing of the following MoUs:-
MoU on Electronic Origin Data Exchange between Customs Administration under China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement;
MoU between the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Belarus and the Customs Wing of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on cooperation in exchange of Customs Statistics Data Bilateral Trade;
MoU between the Office of the Auditor General of Pakistan and Office of Auditor General of Nepal on cooperation in Public Sector Auditing; and
MoU between Department of Auditor General of Pakistan and Accounts Chamber of the Republic of Tajikistan on cooperation in Public Sector Auditing.
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