::. TERMS OF REFERENCE

Objectives

The Advisory Group is established to provide private sector advice on key  aspects of the Pakistan/ British trading and investment relationship. Because of  the pressures on the senior businessmen involved it is not expected that the  Group will sit permanently. It will however be activated in one of two ways:

  • The Group itself may, at any time, take the initiative to  present advice on what it sees as matters of crucial importance to the bilateral  commercial relationship.
  • The British and Pakistani government may also, from time to  time and by mutual agreement, seek the advice of the group

The creation of the Group was announced jointly by the President of Pakistan and the British Prime Minister on 7 January 2002, during the Prime Minister's visit to Pakistan. The Group will provide advice at the appropriate governmental level including, whenever it is thought necessary, to Ministers.

Membership

The Group shall comprise a maximum of ten members. There will be representation by officials of both the British and Pakistani governments. But the majority of the membership will be senior business representatives. For  practical purposes the members of the Group will primarily be based in Pakistan  and it will be mostly meet there. But British based representation should not be ruled out if the practical arrangements allow.

The Group will comprise:

  • A Pakistani government representative.
  • A British government official.
  • Representatives of up to four British companies with major investment, or trading, interests in Pakistan.
  • Representatives of up to four Pakistani companies with major British .

The following have initially been appointed to the Group:

  • Representing the two governments:
    • Waseem Haqqie, Chairman, Board of Investment, Pakistan
    • David Pearey, British Deputy High Commissioner and Director  of Trade Development.
  • Representing the private sector:
    • Bashir Alimohammed, Director, Gul Ahmed Textile Mills
    • Javaid Anwar, Managing Director and CEO, BOC Pakistan
    • Mohammad Faruque, Chairman, Ghulam Faruque Group
    • Moin Fudda, Country Chief, Commercial Union Pakistan
    • Munnawar Hamid, Chairman, ICI Pakistan
    • Vince Harris, Chief Executive, Hub Power Company
    • Abdul Majeed, Chairman, National Foods Limited
    • Razzak Tabba, Partner, Yunus Brothers.

New members of the Group (for example on the resignation of one  of the existing members) shall be appointed, on advice from the Group, following agreement between the two governments. Responsibilities for the secretariat  arrangements will be shared between members of the Group and will be decided whenever the Group convenes to address a particular issue.

Terms of Reference

The terms of reference for the Group are as follows:

  • The Group should confine itself to matters, of key importance  to the private sector, where it believes that one or both governments can make a difference to trade/ investment facilitation and market access.
  • In making recommendations it should recognize the  governments' key role in establishing an appropriate enabling environment for business, not in subsidizing or supervising business itself.
  • Recommendations should be in the form of short, well argued, focused conclusions, not in lengthy papers. All recommendations should if  possible the unanimous, but if that is not possible should at last come with the  support of the majority of the Group.
  • The Group may at any time make recommendations to reform its membership and structure, or should the circumstances so dictate to suggest that the Group be stood down. The Group will automatically be stood down if it has not met over a period of a year.

The government undertake to consider carefully any recommendations made, and to respond.

Initial Tasking of Advisory Group

At its launch the Group was asked to advise on the need for  more formalized arrangements for business to business contact between Pakistan and Britain. It was noted that no bilateral chamber, business forum or trade association currently exits. The advisory Group's recommendations were sought on (a) whether the private sector saw the need for such a business led body, (b)  the purpose it might serve, and (c) the form it might take. The Group was also  asked to make recommendations on other durable ways of building on the current bilateral commercial relationship.

The Advisory Group was asked to  present its views to the Pakistani Commerce Minister and the British Minister for Trade and Investment by April 2002. To the same timetable the Ministers  would be also welcome an indication of the future work of the Group. The first  meeting of the Group will be held in the fourth week of January.