ISLAMABAD: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has become a non-functional, useless body and it should be closed at the earliest, said Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Finance Saleem Mandviwalla on Wednesday.

“It is unfortunate the TDAP has failed to recommend a national policy for maximising exports of goods and services from Pakistan to the TDAP Board,” said Senator Mandviwalla, also a board member of the authority, in a press statement.

The senator said he was disappointed by the affairs of the TDAP and was considering resigning from the office as the authority had failed to develop a consistent, sustainable and result-oriented, holistic export promotion plan.

“The TDAP has failed to achieve synergy in development of exports at a national level by forging effective liaison with private and public stakeholders,” the statement added.

“It is depressing to point out several times that the TDAP chairman and the whole team could not encourage and promote research in trade and policy related studies that may facilitate in formulating an effective export policy and plans,” it read.

“In the last three years TDAP has done nothing to increase the exports from Pakistan. The whole body is looking at the Ministry of Commerce and Finance to help them.”

Mandviwalla said that in FY15 exports were down by 4.8 per cent to $23.9 billion from $25.11bn in FY14, whereas the $27bn target set for 2014-15 was missed by a wide 10pc margin.

He added that this year the government will again miss the export target as during the period July-January 2015-16 exports were down by 14.37pc to $12.08bn as against $14.11bn in the same period of the last fiscal year.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2016