Ordinance [Highlights]

The President of Pakistan established The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) through promulgation of an Ordinance. Excerpts of the Ordinance are given below.

• Trade Development Authority of Pakistan is established under the administrative control of Ministry of Commerce

• The Authority shall comprise the Chief Executive, the Secretary and such number of officers of the Authority as determined by the Board and shall function in accordance with the rules.

• There shall be a Chief Executive of the Authority who shall be appointed by the Federal Government.

• The Chief Executive shall be the Principal Accounting Officer, and shall be responsible for the management of all affairs of the Authority, and achievement of desired objectives.

• The Chief Executive shall report to the Board on all matters including those delegated by him to the subordinate officers in Authority.

• There shall be a Secretary of the Authority of BPS-21 or above of the services of the Federation who shall be appointed by the Federal Government.

• The Secretary shall be responsible for the day to day implementation of the approved plans diligently, timely and effectively.

• The general direction and administration of the Authority and its affairs shall vest in the Board.

• The Federal Government shall establish a Board consisting of 27 members, 15 from the public sector and 12 from the private sector with Federal Minister of Commerce as the Chairman of the TDAP Board and Chief Executive of the Authority as its Vice Chairman.

• The Board shall be the supreme decision making body of the Authority having the power to supervise, control, direct and regulate the affairs of the Authority.

Authority shall perform the following functions, namely:

- To recommend to the Board a national policy for maximizing exports from Pakistan of goods and services and after approval of the Federal Government to develop strategy and plans within the policy frame work given by the Board

- To develop a consistent, sustainable and result oriented, holistic export development plan, outlining vision, objectives, strategies and plans as approved by the Board;

- To achieve synergy in development of exports at a national level by forging effective liaison with private and public stakeholders and avoiding duplication of efforts;

- To encourage and promote research in trade and policy related studies that may facilitate in formulating an effective export policy and plans;

- To plan, organize exhibitions, delegations to and from Pakistan;

- To plan and organize local, international and inter-provincial export promotional conferences, workshops, seminars etc.;

- To plan and organize foreign trade promotion through advertising in local, and international print electronic and other appropriate media;

- To liaise with trade bodies abroad;

- To promote export of sectors where separate sectoral boards / bodies currently exist or will be formed in the future, notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force;

- To examine supply chains of strategic export sectors and develop plans and initiatives for strengthening supply base including exporters' capabilities and capacities;

- To monitor progress against these plans for information of the Board;

- To coordinate through Ministry of Commerce, with the Federal and Provincial Governments and related organizations for a concerted supply chain initiative; to provide visa assistance to outgoing or incoming businessmen whether Pakistani or foreign nationals, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign Missions in Pakistan; to encourage, establish and manage where appropriate export development centers, business support units, display centers and facilities, and information centers, and exporters training institutes etc.;

To promote exporters and stakeholders' education and training of intermediaries of export related supply chain;

- To encourage the organized development of the export business and the related corporate and commercial sectors in Pakistan

- To facilitate the availability of finance to exporters, export oriented small and medium enterprises, risk management of exporters and international buyers, energy and infrastructure needs of exporters and related industrial areas and zones, quality management, social, environmental and security needs and generally all aspects of export facilitation etc.;

- To encourage and promote human resource development in the export sectors;

- To encourage and promote and train new exporters;

- To provide advisory support to stakeholders;

- To be responsible for all matters related to trade development and promotion by Commercial Officers posted in Pakistani Missions abroad. This shall include the training, trade targets, monitoring, and performance evaluation against these trade targets. The Chief Executive of the Authority shall be a member of the committee for selection of the Commercial Officers to be posted abroad;

- To manage funds available to the Authority in accordance with rules and regulations approved by the Board; to make rules for the conduct of the Authority with approval of the Board.

- To have the administrative control of warehouses and other trade development entities owned by the Authority in Pakistan and abroad;

- To set up National, Provincial and Sectoral trade committees;

- To implement directives of the Federal Government and the Board relating to export development and promotion;

- To prepare Annual Report of the Authority;

- To inculcate a quality assured ethic in exporters while encouraging value addition of exports;

- To take, initiatives for maintaining facilities etc. to improve the performance of exporters in the interest of generating economic activity, reducing' Cost of doing business and enhancing supply chain efficiency;

- To maintain the confidence of exporters by appropriate communications;
- To improve existing methods and devise new options for the expeditious settlement of claims and disputes between exporters and their buyers;

- To promote the establishment and development of professional, educational and training organizations connected with exports with a view to improving the management of export business; and

- To promote awareness among exporters and buyers and all relevant stakeholders with respect to the benefits of exports and services of the Authority and general policies of the Federal Government.