ISLAMABAD, March 16: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce (NASCC) on Thursday asked the commerce ministry that the proposed Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) should be established through an act of parliament.

Presiding over the meeting of NASCC on re-structuring of EPB, MNA Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan also recommended to the commerce ministry that the chief executive officer (CEO) of the TDAP should be appointed purely on merit. The chairman EPB and vice chairman, however, did not attend the meeting.

Talking to Dawn following the meeting, the chairman NASCC said that the ministry had agreed to almost all recommendations of the committee regarding the re-structuring of the EPB.

The commerce ministry in a written reply to a question of the committee agreed that the draft act is being prepared for submission to the National Assembly. The CEO and personnel for other posts of the TDAP will be recruited on open merit.

The selection committee would be headed by the commerce secretary comprising of representatives from the establishment division, federal public service commission and the finance division.

The chairman said that Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan in his presentation to the committee assured that no officer and worker of the EPB would be sacked.

The minister informed the meeting that the authority would be headed by a CEO, who would be responsible for financial matters. The chief operation officer, a government officer of BPS21-22, will be the principal accounting officer of TDAP.

The chairman said the recruitment in the proposed authority will be made on competitive basis. The existing officers and staff who opt to join the TDAP would have to undergo an human resource audit. The prime minister has decided that the guidelines for HR audit should be framed before the act or ordinance was enacted.

The commerce minister informed the meeting that for working out guidelines, his ministry has already constituted a committee to implement the decision.

The NASCC chief said that the commerce minister agreed with the proposal of the committee that commerce and trade group officers from BS-17 and above who opt to join the TDAP would have to undergo an HR assessment through which their capability and training needs would be assessed.