NA commerce committee urges recovery of dues from federal, provincial govts

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Commerce emphasized the need to recover outstanding dues from federal and provincial governments during its seventh meeting on Saturday. 

Chaired by MNA Muhammad Jawed Hanif Khan, the committee also reviewed export strategies and discussed ways to enhance trade competitiveness.

The Ministry of Commerce briefed the committee on the implementation of previous recommendations and outlined sector-specific consultations led by the Minister for Commerce to develop strategies for export growth. 

The committee expressed satisfaction with the ministry’s updates and recommended presenting a detailed sectoral export roadmap in its next meeting.

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) delivered a presentation on its achievements and operations. 

However, the committee requested additional details and recommended a revised presentation to address members’ observations.

The Trade Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) briefed the committee on its performance, highlighting challenges in recovering receivables from various government entities. 

The committee endorsed the TCP’s proposal and stressed collaborative efforts for timely recovery.

The sub-committee report, previously prepared under the convenership of MNA Muhammad Atif Khan, was adopted for further discussion. 

Additionally, a new sub-committee was formed under MNA Khurshid Ahmed Junejo to explore the untapped potential of gemstones as a revenue source.

The meeting, attended by Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and other senior officials, also included MNAs Ms. Kiran Imran Dar, Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, and others, along with representatives from TDAP, TCP, National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL), and National Export Development Board (NEDB).