Summary approval of relaxation of rules for the services of foreign experts

Islamabad: Distrusting the bureaucracy, the federal cabinet approved relaxation of rules for hiring foreign experts to promote investment.

According to sources, due to the incompetence of the bureaucracy, Pakistan was facing difficulties in preparing projects for Saudi, British and Kuwaiti investment. However, the recent development is the result of an expected investment of five billion dollars from Saudi Arabia, in which attractive profit plans have been presented to attract Saudi Arabia on investment, the rate of return on them ranges from 14 to 50 percent. 50% of the profit is given to the greenfield mine development Khuzdar, which is the third largest mining project after Ricodec and Thar Coal.

Sources said that the Pakistani bureaucracy was not as trained as the Saudi delegation in briefing on these projects. But he is not an expert in any particular field, he can be appointed secretary of finance, power, planning, board of investment, petroleum, industry, education at any time, after a few months he can be sent to another ministry or the prime minister’s office.

Sources in the cabinet division said that the federal cabinet has approved a special process for hiring reputed consulting firms. The Executive Committee of the Special Investment Facilitation Council, after considering the special program for obtaining the services of foreign experts, recommended to the federal government this week exemption from the PPRA Ordinance and other laws in the national interest of the Board of Investment Ordinance 2001. Exemption should be given under Section 10F for seeking services of reputed consultants for five year programme.

Sources said that in the past, the IMF had also expressed concern over the Special Investment Facilitation Council not having special powers to hire foreign experts. The country cannot afford to waste four to six months, they have to take the fast-track route to hire experts on priority basis.

After the relaxation of the rules, the consulting firms will work under the framework recommended by the Special Investment Facilitation Council and the Special Joint Committee after the approval of the Federal Cabinet. Sources said that it has been decided to hire Machinery International for the digitization of FBR, which will be paid for by the Bills and Melinda Gates Foundation.