President signs two acts into law

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi Friday signed into law the Pakistan Single Window Act 2021 and the Senate Secretariat Services (Amendment) Act 2021.

Under the Pakistan Single Window Act, an independent institution, having a Governing Council and Secretariat, would be established for facilitation of national and international trade.

It would provide a coordinated one-window system to facilitate exports, imports and transit trade, a news release issued by the president’s media wing said.

The establishment of an independent institution, besides reducing the cost of doing business, will also help ease crossborder trade and transportation of goods.

The institution will also help in timely processing of data and bring about improvement in the provision of quality services.

Under the Senate Secretariat Services (Amendment) Act 2021, signed into law by the President under Article 75 of the Constitution, the BS-17 appointments in the Senate Secretariat will now be made through the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC).

However, the Senate Secretariat would be authorized to make appointments in BS-1 to BS-16 on its own.

Direct appointments to BS-18 in the Senate Secretariat have also been done away with.

The absorption of officers, posted in the Senate Secretariat on deputation, has also been prohibited under the law.