The Federal Cabinet has appointed Raza Abbas Shah as Chief Executive Officer of Engineering Development Board (EDB) and Rizwan Bhatti as CEO Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC),

The post of CEO, EDB, Ministry of Industries and Production has been vacant since March 31, 2017 and the business of the organisation is being carried out on look-after basis.

The sources said, Ministry of Industries and Production had submitted a summary to appoint the General Manager, Mirza Nasir Baig, which was not only rejected by the PML (N) government but it also decided to dissolve the EDB on basis of rampant corruption. However, the bureaucracy successfully withheld implementation of the decision and one of the members of Prime Minister's economic team revived it.

The position of CEO, EDB was advertised in the leading national dailies on August 18, 2019. A total of 91 applications were received up to the closing date of the advertisement. A committee was constituted to scrutinize the particulars of all the applicants, in terms of eligibility criteria for the post of CEO, EDB.

The committee of the Ministry of Industries and Production shortlisted 23 candidates for an interview. In terms of Establishment Division's Office Memorandum (OM) of December 27, 2018, a Selection Board comprising of the following interviewed the shortlisted candidates on October 10, 2019: (i) Advisor to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production; (ii) Secretary, Ministry of Industries and Production; (iii) Additional Secretary-II, Ministry of Industries and Production; and ( iv) Additional Secretary-II, Establishment Division.

The Selection Board recommended a panel of following three candidates in order of merit for appointment against the post of CEO, EDB: (i) Raza Abbas Shah; (ii) Naveed Akram Ansari; and (iii) Waqar Ahmed Khan.

Ministry of Industries and Production proposed to the Cabinet that a suitable candidate from the panel should be appointed CEO EDB in MP-1 scale for a period of two years subject to one month notice from either side.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the name of Raza Abbas Shah as CEO EDB. He will assume charge after a formal notification to be issued by the Ministry of Industries and Production.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019