ISLAMABAD: The reports of standing committees on anti-dumping duties and cotton standardisation bills were presented in the National Assembly on Friday.

Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, Chairman National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce, presented the report of the committee in the assembly.

Anti-dumping: An amendment to Section 64 seeks to empower an existing tribunal to entertain appeals against the decisions of the National Tariff Commission (NTC). The Anti-Dumping Duties Ordinance, 2002, decrees the creation of an Appellate Tribunal to hear appeals against the decisions of the NTC. According to the ordinance, such a tribunal is to be headed by a retired judge of Supreme Court assisted by two members. Given the high costs involved in establishing and maintaining such tribunal, an amendment to Section 64 is being sought to empower an existing tribunal to entertain appeals against the decisions of the NTC if need arises. This amendment would give the federal government the policy space to either empower an existing tribunal to hear appeals against NTC decision or appoint a serving or retired, or is qualified to be, a judge of Supreme Court as the head of the Tribunal who may be assisted by two experts when an appeal is filed.

Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari, Chairman Standing Committee on Textile Industry, presented the report on the Cotton Standardisation (Amendment) Bill 2008 in the National Assembly to amend the Cotton Standardisation Ordinance, 2002 which was referred to it on December 18, 2008.

Cotton Standardisation: The Cotton Standardisation Ordinance was promulgated in 2002 according to which, administrative entity, namely, Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute (PCSI) was under the administrative control of the Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock. As such, the Board of Directors of the institute comprised, interalia, representatives of the food ministry, section 5 (I) (b) and similarly, the term of Section 5 (2). Secretary Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock was to be the chairman of the Board of Directors of PCSI.

With the establishment of Ministry of Textile Industry in September, 2004 in pursuance of amended Rules of Business 1973 notified vide SRO 403 (i) 2005, the administrative control of PCSI was transferred to Ministry of Textile Industry from Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.

The new arrangement warrants amendments to the Ordinance in its sub-section (1) (b) and (2) of Section 5 to the effect that the Board of Directors of Pakistan Cotton Standard Institute shall be headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Textile Industry and shall also include a representative of that Ministry, for smooth functioning of the official business of PCSI.