PM Imran Khan to head National Export Development Board formed by Commerce Ministry
Board will provide 'strategic guidance' to the govt to 'increase Pakistan’s export competitiveness'
July 09, 2021
- NEDB will oversee alignment, progress, and implementation of Strategic Trade Policy Framework.
- Ministry of Commerce will act as the secretariat of the board and its meeting will be held bi-monthly.
- Govt says more sectors and representatives will be added in due course of time.
Prime Minister Imran Khan will chair the National Export Development Board (NEDB), formed by the Ministry of Commerce to “increase Pakistan’s export competitiveness”.
The ministry on Friday issued the list of government members that will form part of the board as well as private individuals it will invite to be part of the board. It also issued the Terms of Reference for the board.
“To provide strategic guidance to increase Pakistan’s export competitiveness by continuously improving the enabling environment for exports and increasing firms’ capabilities,” read the TORs shared by the ministry.
The ministry said that the NEDB will also oversee the “alignment, progress, and implementation of Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) along with various sector-specific policy initiatives”.
It will also serve as a “monitoring and evaluation platform” to help the government develop enhancement policies and initiatives in various export sectors.
“To provide guidance and support to the relevant institutions mandated with the role to promote export-oriented foreign and local investment in the country,” said the statement.
The ministry of commerce will act as the secretariat of the board and its meeting will be held bi-monthly.
The government press release also said that more sectors and their representatives will be added by the Ministry in “due course of time”. It also said that the board “may co-opt local and overseas Pakistani experts, women, and young entrepreneurs on any specific sector-wise issue."
Composition of NEDB
| Members | Designation |
| Prime Minister of Pakistan | Chairman |
| Advisor to PM/ Minister of Commerce and Investment | Member |
| Minister of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives | Member |
| Minister of Industries and Production | Member |
| Minister of Finance and Revenue | Member |
| Minister of Energy/Power Division | Member |
| Minister of National Food Security and Research | Member |
| Governor State Bank of Pakistan | Member |
| Secretary Commerce | Member/Secretary |
| Secretary Finance | Member |
| Chairman Board of Investment | Member |
| Chairman FBR | Member |
| President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Ex-Officio Member |
| Chairman Pakistan Business Council | Ex-Officio Member |
| President Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Ex-Officio Member |
Additional public sector representative/members to be invited on an agenda basis:
| Members |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs/ secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Ministry for Economic Affairs/ secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum/secretary Petroleum division |
| Minister for Maritime Affairs / Secretary Ministry of Maritime Affairs |
| Chief Ministers of respective Provincial Governments / respective chief secretaries |
| Any other Ministry/Department |
Private sector representatives to be invited:
| Sector | Members | Organisation |
| Textile & Apparel | Bashir Ali Mohammad | Gul Ahmed. Karachi |
| Ahsan Bashir | Suraj Cotton Mills, Lahore | |
| ljaz Khokhar | Ashraf Industries, Sialkot | |
| Khurram Mukhtar | Sadaqat Textiles, Faisalabad | |
| Shahzad Asghar | Style Textile, Lahore | |
| Leather | S. Anjum Zafar | Eastern Group, Lahore |
| Irfan Iqbal | Nova Leathers. Karachi | |
| Pharmaceutical | Khalid Mahmood | Getz Pharma. Karachi |
| Engineering Goods | Almas Hyder | Synthetic Products Enterprises Ltd, Lahore |
| Faisal Afridi | Haier Group, Lahore | |
| Rice | Chairman | Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), Lahore |
| Fruits & Vegetables | Waheed Ahmed | lftekhar Ahmed & Co. Karachi |
| Agriculture | Mahmood Nawaz Shah | Sindh Mango Growers & Exporters. Hyderabad |
| Surgical Instruments | Shakir Iqbal | Hilbro International, Sialkot |
| Information Technology | Chairman | Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) |
| Ammara Masood | NDC TECH, Karachi | |
| e-Commerce | Muneeb Maayr | Bykea, Karachi |
