Senate recommends amendments in Trade Organisation Bill

Commerce secretary informs that all stakeholders have been taken on board.

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on Wednesday recommended certain amendments in the Trade Organisation Bill, 2012.

Chairing the meeting of the committee, Senator Haji Ghulam Ali said there were certain recommendations given by the stakeholders regarding the bill which should be considered by the committee.

The committee recommended that the name of district chambers should be with the name of concerned districts or where the chamber was being established. Further it was recommended that the chambers will be established in districts and not in divisions.

“The presentation of the associate sectors or small businesses should be ensured and the division of small traders and corporate sector should be discouraged,” the committee said. The nomination for president of chambers shall be on a rotational basis – alternative tenures of a year between associates and the corporate sector – was also recommended.

Besides, the committee recommended that the period of suspension of the membership will be reduced from two years to four months with a penalty of 50% of the membership fee for late payers of dues.

Moreover, the nomination of president for federation body will be on the rotation basis from each province for one year and in addition, vice president will be nominated for the federation body from province’s women chamber on a rotational basis.

The Director General of Trade Organisation shall not be replaced by the regulator, the committee said.

Speaking in the meeting, Commerce Secretary Munir Qureshi said that the committee on commerce and the ministry had taken all stakeholders in confidence regarding the amendments to the bill. “The chambers play a vital role for broadening the net base in the country, which is beneficial for the government and the business community,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2013.

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