Absence of commercial counselors: Government decision could hurt country's export prospects

The government has recalled around 40 commercial counselors without replacing them with the new ones which may hamper country's exports prospects as well as exacerbate hardships for business community abroad, said government officials and representatives of export-oriented sectors. Sources in the ministry of commerce said the ministry has called back around 40 commercial counselors posted abroad while their replacements are yet to be finalized.
The sources said that they have been asked to report back to the commerce ministry by August 30. Out of the total 45, the sources said that 15 positions are already vacant and the remaining 30 have been recalled by the ministry of commerce. They said that there is no possibility of replacement in the next few months due to court stay, which may make the important stations abroad dysfunctional.
The vacant positions included important stations such as China, Canada, Sri Lanka, Italy, Kuwait, Malaysia and the UK.
Last month, a two-member bench of Balochistan High Court stopped the federal government from selecting the trade officers for their postings abroad.
In its order, the court stated: "Till the next day of hearing, the Ministry of Commerce and Trade, Government of Pakistan, is restrained from conducting tests". The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce also took up the matter recently which was informed by senior official of the ministry of commerce that the government is reviewing policy with respect to posting of the commercial counselors.
The committee expressed concerns that several positions of commercial counselors were lying vacant for the last one year. The officials of the commerce ministry further told the panel that with the approval of Prime Minister, policy for such postings will be revised and post-assessment of officers would be carried out to ensure performance. Committee member Senator Talha Mehmood said that five commercial counselors were called back without prior show-cause notice.
However, the Ministry informed that those officers were called back due to their poor performance. According to Ijaz Kokar, Chairman Pakistan Readymade Garments and Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMA), exporters are facing hardships abroad due to the vacant positions and recall of those will badly affect the country's exports abroad. He urged the government to resolve the matter as soon as possible to facilitate the business community.