ISLAMABAD: The federal government will soon legislate for registration of trade chambers and associations in the tribal areas, Secretary Commerce Shehzad Arbab informed Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on Thursday.

Senate Chairman Gulam Ali convened a special meeting of the committee to review the implementation of various issues, especially performance of the sub-ordinate offices of the commerce ministry.

Arbab assured the participants that he would also urge the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) to submit the legislation for approval at the earliest.

Currently, no chamber or association of the Fata was registered under the trade organisation ordinance.

The meeting directed the director general (DG) trade organisation to ensure that only those people were allowed to be member of chambers or association, who were regular income taxpayer and registered sales-tax payers.

A sub-committee was constituted to address the complaints of the chambers as well. The committee will be headed by Senator Islamudin Sheikh.

Chairman of the Committee Senator Ghulam Ali came hard on the DG trade organisation for allegedly creating problems for chambers and intervening in their internal politics. Senator Ilyas Bilour and DG trade organisation traded hard words on this issue.

Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir assured the committee that all recommendations will be implemented in letter and spirit.

On the appointment of permanent chairman of the State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC), the meeting was informed that advertisement will be published soon in national dailies.

On appointment of 758 people in the State Life, the committee asked the ministry to give province-wise details of the appointments to monitor whether the quota was observed. The details will be submitted to the committee within one month.

On irregularities in the State Life, the secretary commerce informed the committee that the two officers involved in corruption were already suspended. Senator Ilays pointed out that frauds of Rs5 million and Rs20 million were committed in the SLIC in the past few years.

The secretary commerce said that besides FIA’s, a departmental inquiry was also being carried out. The report of the inquiry will be presented to the committee.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2014