ISLAMABAD: The government is introducing reforms in the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to make it relevant to the country’s changing export base that has witnessed drastic changes over time.

On Thursday, Commerce Adviser Razak Dawood chaired a meeting for the reorganisation of TDAP to better facilitate the country’s export sectors. It was focused on specialisation of division at the authority and was attended by senior officers of TDAP and the Ministry of Commerce (MoC).

The authority was established in 2006 by replacing the former Export Promotion Bureau with the objective to facilitate exports, but over the years the organisation has turned more into an event management company.

The government had recently appointed former secretary finance Arif Ahmad Khan as TDAP’s new chief. An official statement issued afterwards said the adviser was briefed regarding the existing challenges hindering the body’s performance as well as possible solutions.

Dawood highlighted the need for the authority’s human resource capacity enhancement with a focus on improving the skills of its staff and inducting relevant personnel from private sector to effectively implement specialisation in the proposed divisions.

An official source privy to meeting told Dawn that the adviser has asked TDAP to also focus on export of services, as opposed to its current disposition towards goods.

The TDAP is the implementing arm of MoC for export-related initiatives with office in Karachi, although most of its officers are from the north and do not want to be posted elsewhere.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2019