Khyber trade body ‘controlled by outsiders’

PESHAWAR:

The Director-General Trade Organizations (DGTO), an affiliated department of the Ministry of Commerce, has raised questions over recently established body of Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) for violating the Trade Organizations Act 2013.

According to the act, the residential and business addresses of office bearer of any chamber should be from the same district where the chamber exists. In a letter sent to the body on September 2020, the DGTO stated that the criterion of territorial jurisdiction had not been fulfilled.

During a probe, documents obtained from Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) corroborated this observation, according to which five office-bearers had their residential and business addresses from other districts — not from the district where the chamber exists.

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Apart from the DGTO’s findings, a Qaumi Jirga comprising people of Khyber claimed the positions in the chamber were the right of the locals — who have domiciles of the district. The Jirga members said some outsiders who were not allowed under the rules had taken over the chamber.

The Quami Jirga filed a complaint with the DGTO office, stating the office bearers of KCCI were from other districts and they were accused of involvement in corrupt practices. Responding to the complaint, the DGTO sought reply from the KCCI.

KCCI president objected to the allegations raised by the jirga and the DGTO.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14^th, 2021.