The lack of the representation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan on the Board of Directors (BoD) of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) is likely to render the appointment of the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the authority controversial.
The post of the CEO is vacant since the resignation of the former CEO Sher Ayub Khan, which he had tendered on in March 2019 and since then a senior general manager is managing the affairs as acting CEO. However, interesting matter is the absence of private sector representatives on the board since last two years. The board comprising of representatives from public and private sectors besides giving guideline to the authority for the development of SME sector also play crucial role in the selection of the CEO.
The board has five private sector representatives with at least one member from each federating unit and till the last one, all previous boards were constituted with the same representation from the provinces.
The absence of the private sector representatives on the board of directors had now become a hurdle in the appointment of the favourite candidate that has been shortlisted by the ex-officio directors and the high ups of the Ministry of Industries and Production want to notify members of the board of directors in violation of rules framed by themselves.
The Ministry of Industries and Production have invited applications from the interested private sector candidates for their nomination as independent directors (private sector) in the board of directors of 16 companies/public sector entities including SMEDA.
The ministry had finalised the list of the independent directors six months back and sent them to Advisor to PM on Industries and Production for approval, but it never happened. In wake of the hue and cry of the private sector, particularly, trade bodies, the ministry prepared a priority list of nominees for appointment as independent directors on their own.
The priority list according to reliable sources lack representation from small federating units of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan while business community particularly trade bodies from the small provinces are expressing concern over the lack of their representation on such important industrial sector.
Talking to this scribe, vice president, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Iftikhar Ahmad said that the representation of all provinces is essential on the board of SMEDA.
He said that all provinces, their own economy and for its revival and growth and promotion of industries and trade, and equal representation of all federating units in federal government institutes is must. He called for strict adherence to merit and transparency in the selection of representatives from the provinces.
Iftikhar Ahmad, who represent, KP on the apex trade body said that Baluchistan and KP are rich in natural sources that play major role in the economic development and ignoring them is not only tantamount to sheer injustice rather also harmful for the country.
Similarly, the former president FPCCI and general secretary, Businessman Panel (BMP), Haji Ghulam Ali lauded the role of SMEDA in the economic development of the country and particularly, the Economic Revitalisation of KP and FATA (ERKF). He said that as SMEDA is a national organisation and operates across the country, therefore, its board should also have equal representation from all provinces.
Atif Haleem, president, Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Industries, said that SMEDA had already been in process for the hiring of board members and for the purpose an advertisement was also published in the newspapers. He said that in response to that advertisement several businessmen submitted their CVs while the Ministry of Industries and Production and SMEDA have finalised the names of aspirants and for approval sent a summary to Advisor to PM on Industries and Production.
He called for the following rules and procedure in the nomination of the names for the board of directors. Otherwise, he said it would be called a Punjab oriented board.
Wali Mohammad, president of Pak-Iran Chamber of Commerce said that the board lacking representation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan will not be acceptable to them.
The president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Peshawar Engr Maqsood Anwar Pervez called for taking all business community on board on formulation of such boards. He said that board sans representation from two provinces will be controversial.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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