The meeting presided over by Additional Secretary In-charge Ministry of Industries and Production, Mian Asad Haya-ud-Din was of the view that restructuring of EDB would be worthless in the shortest time. One of the members informed that it needs detailed deliberations as he has been involved since long in the process of strengthening EDB.
On the agenda of the change of the secretary of the EDB Board of Management, an insider said that the matter was not discussed in detail, just a slide was displayed and it was informed that CFO normally holds the position of the secretary of the Board so the current secretary, who is a general manager, as informed, is replaced with a deputy general manager who possesses a masters degree in IT and is appointed as secretary to EDB Board. The additional secretary, who is also new, was also kept in dark regarding the facts.
It was also learnt that only nine members including the chair attended the meeting and instead of any of the general managers, the two favorite deputy general managers - Shahzad and Asim Ayaz - were available in the Board meeting.
Engineering Development Board, established in 1995, which is being considered a technical arm of the Ministry of Industries & Production, is currently in the doldrums, especially after fire incident took place in the month of September 2017.
One of the participants told Business Recorder that no proper offices have still been established. The officers and their staff are sitting in a hall situated in the basement of Privatization Commission building, which is EDB's own building but it is the failure of Mirza Nasir Baig, who has been assigned look-after charge of CEO EDB, to get it vacated from the Privatization Commission, WTO Wing of Ministry of Commerce and Federal Ombudsmen. These organizations occupying EDB building are paying lower rent than the rent EDB had been paying in burnt-down building.
Private industry visitors told Business Recorder that the current seating arrangement of EDB staff is quite dangerous in case any incident happens due to scattered wires on the floor of basement. It can cause loss of human lives. There is no proper place for sitting of the officers even.
The incumbent CEO, who is known as a confused man, is actually not a full-fledged CEO. He has been assigned to look after the work of the post of CEO-EDB, as per Ministry of Industries' order of April 19, 2017.
Sources in the ministry are of the view that all three general managers are kept sidelined and not taken on board on any official matter.
The former secretary, in a meeting of all the general managers, took notice of issuance of any office order in the current capacity of holding charge of CEO EDB and barred Mirza Nasir Baig from issuing any office order. One of the deputy managers, who is considered as middle man, is playing key role in the affairs of the organization.
Mirza Nasir Baig was assigned the look after charge of EDB on April 19, 2017 after the retirement of Sher Ayoub Khan, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Industries & Production. He also applied for the position of CEO EDB, advertised after the expiry of the tenure of Tariq Ejaz Choudhry. He influenced the ministry and with the connivance of his colleagues, involved in the process of filtering the applications of CEO EDB, he was short-listed for the interview. But his summary was rejected by the Prime Minister with the direction to wind up the "corrupt" organization.
The corruption stories of CEO EDB were also discussed in the meetings of National Assembly Standing Committees on Industries as well as Finance and it was unanimously recommended to immediately remove the incumbent CEO and appoint a full-time CEO.
The PAAPAM also wrote several times to the secretary industries about the poor performance of EDB that is becoming a "no go area" for the auto industry, seeking enhancement of quotas under the prescribed policy.
It was also reported to the ministry several times that the then General Manager (Tariff) EDB Mirza Nasir Baig (who faced investigation during the tenure of former Secretary Industries Arif Azim for illegally supporting a Lahore-based company) is deferring prospective investors' request for enhancing quotas, and is also reportedly placing obstacles in extending government incentive policies to local engineering entities. The auto industry, sources said, is deeply concerned over becoming uncompetitive in national and international market as their requests are being turned down.
With regard to disbandment of EDB, the business associations, chambers, industrial bodies and experts have unanimously opposed the government plan of disbanding the Engineering Development Board (EDB) and termed it an unjustified decision, as the credit of development and growth of whole auto parts vending industry goes to this institution.
The sources said that internal administration of EDB has almost been destroyed since taking over the charge by incumbent CEO-EDB and there is a need of prompt attention of the secretary of the Ministry of Industries & Production who is also responsible for the performance of the organizations working under the administrative control of his ministry.