Business

Adjustments: ‘Monitor performance of foreign trade missions’

Senate Standing Committee on Commerce wants more efficiency.

APP January 10, 2014 1 min read

Retrenchment: Rs315.9m is the amount that will be saved after recalling 100 officials from foreign trade missions abroad. CREATIVE COMMONS

ISLAMABAD:

Senate Standing Committee on Commerce has directed the Commerce Ministry to monitor the performance of all foreign trade missions, asking them to increase annual trade by 10-20%.

The meeting was held to review viable abolishment of the posts of Pakistani-based staff along with the appointment of local-based one in trade missions abroad.

Chairman of the committee Haji Ghulam Ali said that closing foreign missions is not the ultimate solution of saving money. “It should be made more efficient to increase the country’s trade abroad,” said Ali.

Officials of Ministry of Commerce presented a detailed briefing about the proceeding of the sub-committee which was constituted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The committee was informed that the sub-committee, headed by Tariq Fatemi, had decided to close eight foreign trade missions abroad along with calling back 100 officials of the trade missions.

“The closing down of foreign trade missions would save Rs178.765 million and the official retracement from retrenchment would save Rs315.851 million,” said the ministry, adding that 100 officials from the trade mission have been issued recall notice and have been asked to report to the headquarters by February 23, 2014.

The foreign missions to be closed down include one each at Baku in Azerbaijan, Athens in Greece, Tripoli in Libya, Cairo in Egypt, Port Louis in Mauritius, OIC Trade office in Jeddah, Santiago in Chile and Mexico City.

Speaking about the officials who have been recalled, the ministry officials said that they will be adjusted in various departments of the ministry.

The committee was told that the government was trying to penetrate in regions of South America, Africa and Central Asia where huge potential of trade was available.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2014.

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