January 21, 2007	Sunday	Muharram 01, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: The high-powered board of the newly established Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has not held a single meeting since its inception on November 8, 2006.

The 27-member board of the TDAP was constituted, replacing Export Promotion Bureau, to give short, medium and long-term policy for the promotion of exports by hiring consultants from the private sector.

Well-placed sources in the TDAP told Dawn on Saturday that the first meeting was scheduled to be held on January 19 but due to lack of quorum it was postponed till further order. The next meeting is expected to be convened in February, the sources added.

The TDAP board includes the chief executive of TDAP, the secretaries of ministries of commerce, finance, industries production and special initiatives, textile industry, food and agriculture and livestock, chairman CBR, secretary BOI, deputy governor SBP, chief secretaries to the governments of Punjab, Sindh, the NWFP, and Balochistan and AJK, presidents FPCCI and Overseas Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and 10 members from the private sector.

The sources said that it would be very difficult for the TDAP to hold the meetings of the board regularly, which would approve all the decision regarding marketing as well as financial matters as the availability of all these government functionaries at a time was not possible practically.

The delay in holding of meeting would result in lingering on the policy decisions, which would ultimately affect export enhancement strategy for which this authority was established through a presidential ordinance.

Under the ordinance, the board will be the supreme decision making body of the authority have power to supervise, control, direct and regulate the affairs of the ministry. Its mainly functions includes to establish short, medium and long term critical success factors, review performance, approves rules and regulations and approve expenditure of the authority.