ISLAMABAD: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chief Executive Office (CEO) SM Muneer, being a head of a government organisation, enjoys the portfolio of a director in the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FPCCI) Pakistan-Canada Business Council, which comes under conflict of interest.
Being the TDAP CEO, you cannot be part of any business organisation. Under the TDAP Act, the CEO is a full-time employee of the authority, which comes under the Ministry of Commerce.
SM Muneer, being a Canadian nationality holder, has vested interests in Canada, so he wants to play an active role in the business community of Canada and the Canadian chambers of commerce.
According to a notification of the FPCCI, it is stated that in response to the elections notice of #FPCCI-IBP/BC/-2017 of January 5, 2017 for the nine members of the board of directors of the Pakistan-Canada Business Council of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry for the term 2017, the council received seven nominations for the post of directorship before or on the stipulated date. Therefore, the seven members were declared elected (unopposed) on the board of directors of the Pakistan-Canada Business Council.
Similarly, the 4th Canada-Pakistan Trade Expo 2017 in Toronto will be organised in July by the FPCCI. This was disclosed by newly elected FPCCI President Zubair F Tufail last month. He hoped that this expo would help Pakistan’s exports in capturing unconventional North American market. Leading entrepreneurs and industrial sector of Pakistan are being invited to participate in the event.
Interestingly, he president further added that the FPCCI’s Pakistan-Canada Business Council Chairman SM Muneer will personally supervise the affairs of the expo, which was very much surprising -how a government-owned organisation’s CEO may supervise the event of any chamber or federation?
The business community has urged the prime minister of Pakistan to immediately appoint a new face for the organisation, as the TDAP needed a competent CEO who, at least, can give full time to his job, besides starting effective planning to enhance Pakistan’s exports.
