The Ministry of Commerce is being indecisive over the fate of the incumbent Chief Executive of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) S M Muneer, whose three-year term expires on March 18.
An informed source said that there is an intense lobbying in the corporate sector for the top post of the trade-promoting agency. However, the ministry of commerce is yet to initiate the process for the appointment of the new chief executive of the agency, as it was not clear whether the incumbent would continue on extension or prefer to leave.
It is important to mention that the ministry had no role in appointing S M Muneer as CE TDAP. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had appointed his friend on the top position on 12th March 2014.
The source said S M Muneer was trying to get an extension, even though the commerce ministry was strictly opposed to the idea. As under his three-year tenure, the country exports fell by $5 billion from $25 billion in FY 2013-14 to $20 billion in FY 2015-16.
A consistent decline in exports has been an embarrassment for the ministry under pro-business PML-N government. The ministry and TDAP have repeatedly attributed the massive fall in exports to the global recession, despite the fact, that even Bangladesh and Vietnam exports have increased during this time.
The Establishment Division had issued notification of S M Muneer’s appointment on March 12, 2014, as CE of TDAP on a contract basis (without any salary) and till further orders, S M Muneer assumed the charge on March 18, 2014.
The TDAP Act 2013 states that “there shall be a Chief Executive of the Authority who shall be appointed by the federal government. The tenure of the Chief Executive shall be of three years, extendable by the federal government. The Chief Executive shall, however, serve at the pleasure of the federal government”.
The source said that interpretation of TDAP act is required. As usually the CE is for a three year term. However, lobby of incumbent CE-TDAP is of the opinion that he was appointed for an indefinite term.
The three-year term of S M Muneer has remained controversial from the beginning. He remained busier in trade politics than his official responsibility. He established his business group in 2014 with the name of UBG and became its Patron In Chief to control the trade body, FPCCI.
