Govt seeks nominations for economic ministers in Pak embassies

ISLAMABAD: The government has sought nominations of BS-20 and BS-21 officers for selection of Economic Ministers in Pakistani Embassies at important destinations of Washington DC, Tokyo, Beijing, London, etc.

All these important seats have been falling vacant for more than one year, but the government never bothered to move ahead. Another important position which is still falling vacant is Pakistan’s Advisor to Executive Director of IMF. The Office Memorandum issued by the Finance Division stated that the government has invited nominations of suitable BS-20 and BS-21 officers to fill up the vacant posts of Economic Ministers in the Embassies of Pakistan, Washington, Tokyo, Beijing and London.

All the ministries/divisions and provincial governments are requested to send nominations of suitable BS-20 and BS-21 officers to Finance Division along with the following documents for each post:

Detailed curricula vitae of the nominated officers. Bio-data as per Annex-V. PER Synopsis for the last five years. A certificate to the effect that no disciplinary proceedings are pending against the nominee (in respect of APUG officers, such certificates shall be issued by the Establishment Division). The tenure of the each post shall be three years. The written test will be conducted by the Lahore University of Management Sciences Lahore (LUMS) or the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi.

In this regard, the candidates will be intimated, accordingly. The candidates qualifying the written test will be interviewed by a committee. The eligibility criteria for these luxurious postings included that all government BS-20 & BS-21 officers, including occupational groups of the federal government, having served for 3-5 years on relevant positions in the divisions and departments of the federal government, Finance and its attached departments, Economic Affairs; Revenue; Privatization, Board of Investment; Planning and Development and Reform; Commerce; Textile Industries and Production or in the departments of Provincial Governments/AJK/Gilgit-Baltistan, Finance, Planning and Development; and Industries. b) At least graduate or equivalent qualification. c) upper age limit is 55 years (on the closing date to submission of applications) Good knowledge of, inter alia: International Financial Institutions (IF1s) - IMF and World Bank; issues of concern for Pakistan like the Indus Water Treaty and IMF Programmes; USAID funding in Pakistan; US Capital Market; changing trade dynamics owing to the new US trade policy and its implications for the world and Pakistan and US-Pakistan trade balance and issues.

Officer who does not fulfill requirements of the post as detailed in the Job Description included officers against whom there is disciplinary proceedings, officers who do not apply through proper channel, officers who are in promotion zone within next two years, officers who are likely to retire in the next four years and officers who do not have complete PERs record for the last five years at the time of interviews with minimum average of ‘good’.

The job description of the Economic Minister/Financial Adviser at Washington DC included USA financial advice on administrative expenditure of the Embassy of Pakistan in USA including the Consulate General, the permanent Mission at the USA and Pakistan Embassy of Canada.

The Economic Minister will keep himself abreast of the political economy of the United States and send regular/periodic briefs to Finance Division on all relevant developments/issues. He will maintain liaison with US government departments, state departments including USAID, the commerce, treasury and agriculture departments, the World Bank and the IMF, Exim Bank and the secretariat of the US special fund. He will liaise with different relevant national/international NGOs based in the United States like the Transparency International, Centre for Clean Air Policy (CCAP), Brookings Institute and other think tanks to improve coordination and understanding for Pakistan aimed at better outcomes for the country. He will play a role in negotiation of free trade and preferential trade agreements and accords covering investments, double taxation avoidance and other financial services. He will help the government of Pakistan in maintaining a close liaison with institutional investors in the international capital markets as well as the rating agencies based in the US, answering enquiries of commercial and economic nature, promotion of trade and investment in all sectors of the economy. He will represent Pakistan at international conferences held in US, the General Assembly of the UN, Special Fund, the Commission of International Commodity Trade, The International Cotton Advisory Committee and the annual meetings of IBRD, IFC and IMF and promotion of-Pak-US economic ties.

There is a requirement to submit a quarterly report to the Finance-Division, stating progress and achievements in the above-mentioned duties through Ambassador, Embassy of Pakistan, Washington DC, USA.

There is a separate job description for Economic Ministers at Tokyo, Beijing and London. For Economic Minister at Beijing, the officer will keep himself abreast of the political economy of the China and send regular/periodic briefs to Finance Division on all relevant developments/issues, promotion of Pak-China economic ties. He will promote Investment in Pakistan from China, answering enquiries of commercial and economic nature. He will play a role in negotiation of free trade and preferential trade agreements and accords covering investments, double taxation avoidance and other financial services, coordination of any bilateral trade or economic cooperation agreements between Pakistan and China.

To deal with all economic and trade issues between the two countries, he will help the government of Pakistan in maintaining a close liaison with institutional investors, all other matters incidental and ancillary to the above. He will submit a quarterly report to the Finance Division, stating progress and achievements in the above-mentioned duties, through Ambassador, Embassy of Pakistan, People’s Republic of China.