Business

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce approved the Trade Development Authority Bill 2012 that was referred by the House to the Committee.

The meeting held here on Wednesday with Senator Ghulam Ali in chair where Additional Secretary Abdul Kabir Qazi briefed the committee over Trade Development Authority Bill 2012.

This bill was approved by the National Assembly standing committee on commerce and sent to Upper house for its approval and house referred it back to the standing committee.

During the meeting Chairman of the Committee Haji Ghulam Ali said that to reduce the government’s control from the board, equal representation has been given to the government and private sector members in the board of Trade Development Authority Bill 2012.

He said this step has been taken to provide more opportunities to the private sector in the country. Senator Haji Ghulam Ali said we should support the business community of the country and should provide them more incentives for economic uplift.

He said that approval of this Trade development Authority Bill would enhance the relation between government and business community.

Senator Abdul Haseeb Khan strongly opposed the bill and said that it is not a bill but an agency. He said that we are taking wrong steps as Minister for Commerce and Secretary has been given representation as Board’ chairman and member and they will enjoy the complete authority.

He said that after adoption of this bill as Act, major role would be given to bureaucracy and they will not take all the stakeholders on board in decision making process. Member of the committee Senator Zafar Iqbal said that this bill is very important in the economic development of the country therefore it should not be passed in haste and should be discussed in details. He proposed that first it should be discussed in details then we should pass it.

Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja said that in order to enhance investment letters were written to the sixteen countries but our commercial attachés are not cooperating. He said that the ministry of Commerce should gave directions to the attachés to play their active role for promotion of trade in the country.

Standing committee resented the performance of commercial attachés and emphasized on the ministry to issue directions to them to play their key role for promotion of better image of the country abroad. \

Gul Muhammad Lot said that representation should be given to those whose exports are more than hundred million and these steps would further enhance these sectors.

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