Islamabad (TDI): Federal Minister for Commerce, Jam Kamal Khan, on Thursday called for structural and operational overhauling of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
He was presiding over the 11th Board Meeting of the TDAP in Islamabad. The meeting was also attended by the chairman of the authority Zubair Motiwala and key board members.
During the meeting, the minister highlighted that TDAP needed structural and operational reforms to enhance its efficiency.
Jam Kamal also expressed dissatisfaction with the security arrangements at TEXPO, highlighting loopholes in the current system.
“We have ministers, ambassadors, and foreign dignitaries attending these events; we need a proper security professional in the structure,” he said.
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The minister proposed creating a permanent position for Director General (DG) Security to take care of the security for high-profile events.
The board agreed to start the hiring process for the position through the Ministry of Commerce and Finance Division.
Jam Kamal also called for a dedicated in-house role to manage airport, hotel, and city-level arrangements for such events.
The minister also highlighted the glitches in TEXPO’s logistical and promotional challenges and instructed the board to create Terms of Reference (TORs) for event management services.
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He also pointed out that during the TEXPO, there were inadequate cooling systems for VIPs and no make-shift arrangement was in place.
He stressed the need for establishing a permanent TDAP office at the Expo Center to overcome the event management issues and enhance TDAP’s representation.
Focus on Minerals and International Exhibitions
Jam Kamal said the government was focused on mineral development and proposed a dedicated exhibition for the sector.
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He suggested that minerals should be classified as an “industry” to attract greater investment and attention.
The meeting also discussed the upgradation of TDAP’s offices in Lahore and Quetta, as well as the construction of a new office in the federal capital.
The minister directed immediate action to address structural shortcomings and improve working environments.
