NA okays amendments to trade organisations act

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on the last day of its 46th session on Tuesday passed the Trade Organisations (Amendment) Bill 2022 with amendments in the Trade Organisations Act 2013.

Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar moved the bill, approved by the standing committee, which was unanimously passed by the House.

The NA session had commenced on November 3.

Under the new trade organisations bill, power of the federal government relating to operational matters of trade organisations would be given to the Commerce Division or the regulator trade organisations for smooth functioning of day-to-day affairs.

According to the statements of objects and reasons, the trade organisations (TOs) are regulated under the Trade Organisation Act 2013. The act and its subsequent rules aim to define the purpose, role, responsibility and operational framework, including the code of corporate government for TOs and their related matters.

The Trade Organisation Act 2013 has given certain functions and powers to be exercised by the federal government. These functions and powers relate to regulations of operational matters of TOs and hence, it is appropriate that such functions and powers are given to the Commerce Division, or the regulator of trade organisations.

Moreover, the tenure of office-bearers of trade bodies also needs to be increased from existing one year to two years to provide adequate time for the office-bearers to implement their agenda.

The proposed amendments in the Trade Organisations Act 2013 will enable the office of expeditious disposal of operational issues in the regulation of TOs by the directorate general of Trade Organisation and Commerce Division. Increasing the tenure of trade bodies to two years will enable the management of trade bodies to implement their policies and agendas by getting sufficient time.

The National Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution extending the Tax Laws Second Amendment Ordinance 2022 for a further period of 120 days.

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), however, objected an extension in the period of the ordinance saying that the same should have been laid before the House in the shape of a bill. He said the sitting ministers, when in the opposition, used to oppose promulgation of ordinances and extension through the National Assembly and now they are following the same practice.

Speaker Raja Parvaiz Ashraf observed that the ordinance should be introduced in parliament in the shape of a bill.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly was informed that damage assessment survey had been carried out in the flood-affected areas in an impartial manner with the involvement of all stakeholders.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi, while responding to a calling attention notice, said the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) assisted the provincial disaster management authorities in the survey. He said the government had effectively highlighted Pakistan’s case regarding climate change impacts at international level.

Minister for Economic Affairs Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that international partners, including the World Bank, were also involved in the survey of flood-affected areas.

Ayaz Sadiq rejected the impression that the federal government was responsible for the lapse of Asian Development Bank’s loan of 200 million dollars for the Greater Thal Canal project. He said this soft loan could still be secured if Punjab and Sindh develop a consensus on this important project. He said they were ready to facilitate this process.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Hamid Hameed said efforts were afoot to check gas loadshedding in the country.

Responding to a calling attention notice, he said a gas load management plan was being implemented to ensure that gas was available to domestic consumers during cooking times. Alluding to the depletion of gas reserves, he said work was continuing to explore new oil and gas reserves. At the outset, the house offered Fateha for the departed soul of former MNA Saeed Iqbal.