Expo Centre location in Quetta: Senate panel directs MoC to liaise with Balochistan CM

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce has directed the Commerce Ministry to interact with Balochistan Chief Minister to resolve the issue of the location of the Expo Centre in Quetta as current identified location is not feasible due to security issues.

Chaired by Senator Anusha Rehman, the Committee reviewed the allocation and utilization of Budget for the financial year 2024-25, and allocation of Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) proposed allocation for FY 2025-26.

Committee Chairman Senator Anusha Rehman appreciated increase of 10 more trade missions and urged that they be encouraged to perform.

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TDAP’s budget for the current fiscal year stands at Rs 2.4 billion, of which Rs 1.73 billion has been released by December.

The meeting revealed that nearly half of TDAP’s annual budget (47 percent) is spent on salaries and benefits, amounting to Rs 565 million over the past six months.

However, the TDAP’s promotional efforts have seen a positive impact, with Rs 246 million allocated for promotions, and this budget was fully utilized.

The TDAP officials shared that the authority’s promotional activities have borne fruit, with expos such as Food Expo, Texpo, and EHCS generating a business worth $2.42 billion last year.

Additionally, TDAP has already participated in 44 exhibitions this year, further promoting Pakistan’s exports globally. In the same vein, Senator Anusha Rahman also mentioned that the pharmaceutical sector has called for the establishment of a “Pharma Excel” initiative and the TDAP should consider establishing a sectoral department for pharmaceuticals, including APIs and nutraceuticals.

The TDAP secretary assured that hiring of a pharmaceutical consultant is underway in this regard.

The session also highlighted areas that need improvement in TDAP’s operations including facilitation of trade by Trade Information Office (TIO) and concerned associations and recommended that leads should be shared with relevant sectors multiple times to ensure effective follow-up and action.

Senator Rehman emphasized the importance of better communication and support to sectors involved in export activities.

Senator Bilal Ahmed Khan questioned whether minerals, an under-utilized sector, could be given more attention by TDAP.

TDAP officials clarified that they had already taken 28 sectors to exhibitions in Saudi Arabia but added that it is challenging to create 28 Divisions within TDAP due to budgetary constraints. “The TDAP has a limited budget, but we are doing as much as we can with the resources available,” said a TDAP official.

He also gave his dissenting note on the current location of Expo Centre despite the fact that Rs 1 billion has already been spent on constructing a boundary wall and soil testing.

The committee praised the efforts of TDAP and Ministry officials on their ongoing efforts to enhance trade and increase exports to meet the target set by the Prime Minister.

The appointment of a pharmaceutical consultant and the commitment to improving sector-specific engagement were seen as positive steps in fostering growth in the country’s export-oriented industries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025