ISLAMABAD, June 25: The government is likely to miss the deadline of the re-structuring of the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) owing to differences of the bureau chairman and commerce ministry over the proposed new organizational structure.
Well-placed sources told Dawn on Friday that the government had fixed June 30 for the finalization of the restructuring plan of the EPB to make it an effective tool for promotion of goods, services abroad and facilitating exporters.
The sources said that due to the alleged differences between EPB chairman and commerce ministry officials over the three proposals worked out for the re-organization of the EPB would delay the implementation process, which was scheduled to start from July 1, 2005.
When contacted on telephone Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan told Dawn that various options were ready for the restructuring of the EPB, which he said would be given final touches next month.
However, he did not mention the exact time of finalizing the proposals that would be subsequently approved by the prime minister.
Following the abolishment of textile quota since January 1, 2005, it has been decided to reorganize the function of the EPB according to the need of the trade. In the quota regime, around 80 per cent of the EPB work was consumed only in textile related quotas.
It was proposed to convert EPB into Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) with a Policy Board and a TDAP Board.
Besides the TDAP, a Guarantee Limited Company will be established, which will initially be assigned, on behalf of the TDAP, the task of managing exhibitions, delegations, promotion (local and abroad), Expo Centre Karachi and all research to be undertaken by TDAP.
According to the sources, the EPB chairman wanted to head these two organizations at one time with complete autonomy. While the commerce ministry wanted to post another senior official to head the proposed company.
“The commerce minister is seemed helpless to resolve the issue in the interest of the exporters”, the sources said.
Elaborating the proposed restructuring plan of the EPB, the sources said that the policy board of TDAP would consist of 20 members and chaired by the commerce minister. The functions of this board were to be reviewed by the EPB chairman. It was to be noted that the policy board would be separate from the TDAP board, added the sources.
The TADP board would consist of Minister of State and Chairman (of current EPB) who will also be the CEO; member of the board will be the heads of the operational division; there will be a Chief Operating Officer (COO) of TADP who will be a Grade-21 officer of the government of Pakistan.
The chairman, CEO and COO of the TDAP will also perform the functions of the Chairman, CEO and the COO of the Guarantee Limited Company, a separate entity from TDAP. The Board of the Guarantee Limited Company will be the Policy Board of TDAP with the Member for Commerce as its chairman.
The company staff will be commercially hired and will be all from private sector with the approval of its chairman.
