January 31, 2006	Tuesday	Muharram 1, 1427

ISLAMABAD, Jan 30: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Monday approved the establishment of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), replacing the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), with a claim to bring a quantum jump in exports.

The authority, to be an autonomous body both financially and administratively, will be headed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who would enjoy the status of the minister of state besides having additional powers of hiring and firing.

While the Commerce and Trade Group (CTG) has shown its resentment over the development as it sees the new authority a serious threat to the survival of the group, which was established under the Constitution of 1973 as specialized cadre for the promotion of exports.

“We are considering our plan of action. We would definitely also consider the option to challenge the decision of abolishing the group in the Superior Court,” an official of the CTG group said.

Chairing the meeting on the restructuring of the EPB, the prime minister said that the TDAP would be set up through an act of parliament and asked the ministry of commerce to submit draft legislations to the cabinet within a month.

An informed source told Dawn that the meeting decided that no officer of the CTG would be disturbed. “There are plenty of options for these officers and their future prospects would not be diluted,” the source said.

However, the source reluctant to disclose what would be the future of these officers in the wake of setting up of TDAP. Will they be merged in other groups or will go with their own group credential?

EPB chairman Tariq Ikram gave a detailed presentation to the prime minister on the TDAP. The meeting was attended among others by Minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan, Secretary Commerce Syed Asif Shah, Secretary Establishment Division Syed Tariq Ali Bokhari and EPB vice-chairman Zafar Mahmood.

Under the approved plan, there would be a chief operation officer, which would also work as principal accounting officer from the government service in the grade of BPS21 or 22, who would report to the CEO.

The CEO would give report to the board consisting of members from private and public sectors to be headed by commerce minister as chairman of the board. The performance appraisal and the reporting of commercial officers posted abroad would not be shifted to TDAP from ministry of commerce.

The EPB would hire two consultants for policy, procedure formulation and human resource audit. All the officers of the CTG would be given a chance for qualifying the audit requirement for selection to the new authority, which would offer market based salaries.