ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi, Wednesday, assented to “The Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Bill, 2022” and “The National Assembly Secretariat Employees (Amendment) Bill, 2022” into laws.

The president also approved transfer of Rs265.83 million from the Gilgit-Baltistan Council Consolidated Fund to the Consolidated Fund of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The president approved the two bills under Article 75 of the Constitution of Pakistan, and transfer fund under Article 121 of the Gilgit-Baltistan Order, 2018.

“The Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions Bill, 2022” aimed at authorising, negotiating, and supervising inter-governmental agreements between the government of Pakistan and the government of a foreign state for the purposes of entering into business agreements.

Under the law, the federal government will constitute a Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions and the primary function of the said panel will be to negotiate and enter into an inter-governmental agreement to allow state-owned enterprises of both countries to carry out a commercial venture either in Pakistan or in a foreign country.

The G2G (government-to-government) agreement will also include broad parameters and mechanism for the execution of an intended commercial transaction. Unless provided otherwise by the Cabinet Committee, a commercial agreement under the G2G agreement shall be negotiated and executed between the nominated entities of the federal government and the government of the foreign state.

In case of an entity nominated by the government of the foreign state, that government shall have either shareholding or control of the entity.

The Cabinet Committee may authorise negotiations for a G2G agreement between the federal government and the government of a foreign state, besides constituting a negotiation committee for a G2G agreement or a commercial agreement – as the case may be – and approve the price discovery mechanism.

The committee may also recommend approval of the G2G agreement or a commercial agreement finalised by the negotiation committee, as well as, recommend for relaxations, exemptions, exclusions or concessions from regulatory compliance.

The president approved transfer of Rs265.83 million from the Gilgit-Baltistan Council Consolidated Fund to the Consolidated Fund of the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan under Article 121 of the Gilgit Baltistan Order, 2018.

Earlier, the president had approved the transfer of Rs3 billion to the government of Gilgit-Baltistan for spending for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of flood-affected people in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022