ISLAMABAD, Sept 29: The National Assembly’s standing committee on commerce unanimously approved the draft, which seeks amendment in the Pakistan Tobacco Board Ordinance 1968, here on Thursday.

The committee met here with MNA Iqbal Mohammad Ali Khan in chair to discuss the amendment bill, referred by the National Assembly.

Chairman Pakistan Tobacco Board, while briefing the committee about the amendments in question, informed that amendment in the original ordinance will allow reconstitution of the board with 16 members including representation of tobacco growers, dealers, cigarette manufactures and provincial governments.

The bill will also allow curtailment of tenures of members to hold office for the third time which will make the board more efficient, functional, professional and goal-oriented, he added.

The committee directed ministry of commerce to include one each tobacco growers from Sindh and Baluchistan in the board to give maximum representation to farmers. Minister of State for Commerce Hamid Yar Hiraj assured the committee that their directions will be complied with. Later the committee was briefed on trade between Pakistan and India. The minister said during the year 2004-2005, goods worth $249.005 millions were exported to India as compared to $93.680 million during the year 203-2004. Commodity based trade is being done with India in order to meet the urgent shortage of commodities in the market.

Mr Iqbal asked the ministry of commerce to maintain buffer stocks of all the essential commodities for subsequent release in shortage in order to keep their prices in reasonable limits. He also asked the ministry to effectively monitor the prices of essential commodities during Ramazan.

Among those who attended the meeting included Ms Kashmala Tariq, Mrs Afsar Begum, Mrs Azra Fazal Pechuho, Mohammad Pervaiz Malik and Mrs Tahira Asif.—APP