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ISLAMABAD, Feb 1 (APP):The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce on Thursday discussed the implementation status of recommendations on various commodities made by the committee over the last three years.
A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce was held here in Parliament House, presided over by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada.
The Chairman of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) briefed the committee members on the progress of different commodities.
He mentioned that TCP was in the reconciliation process, and while the Sindh government had already responded, the other provincial governments were still in the process of responding.
Zeeshan Khanzada inquired about the progress of imports and suggested maintaining regulation of new items.
The committee members expressed dissatisfaction at the absence of the commerce minister.
They extensively discussed issues with chilled meat, including concerns regarding the Animal Quarantine Department’s (AQD) certification and the negative portrayal of Pakistan in newspapers due to fungus-infected meat.
Deputy Chairman Senate, Mirza Muhammad Khan Afridi advised ministry officials to refrain from opening containers suspected of temperature errors to maintain smooth regulation and uphold Pakistan’s reputation.
Senator Danesh Kumar proposed legal action against shipping lines and auditing their processes to ensure accountability.
Zeeshan Khanzada emphasized that the AQD initially certified Pakistan’s meat, and temperature discrepancies indicated shipping line errors.
He recommended third-party audits to clear Pakistan’s name.
Furthermore, the committee members also discussed in detail the Private Members’ Imports and Exports (Control) Amendment Bill, 2023.
The deputy chairman expressed appreciation for the bill, emphasizing that value addition in exports was beneficial for Pakistan’s prosperity.
He acknowledged that while it was a time-consuming process, it yielded long-term benefits.
Additionally, he assured support for the ministry in that regard.
The committee chairperson also suggested that the ministry take steps to regulate value-addition.
Senator Danesh Kumar, Senator Fida Muhammad, Senator Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan, Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi (Dy. Chairman), Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir, the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Chairman of Trading Cooperation of Pakistan (TCP), and the senior officials from the Ministry of Commerce attended the meeting.