President signs acts to facilitate trade, improve Senate Secretariat appointments

Islamabad: President Dr. Arif Alvi Friday signed into law the Pakistan Single Window Act 2021 and Senate Secretariat Services (Amendment) Act 2021.

Under the Pakistan Single Window Act, an independent institution having a Governing Council and Secretariat would be established for the facilitation of national and international trade.

The new law will provide a coordinated one-window system to facilitate exports, imports and transit trade.

Establishment of an independent institution besides reducing the cost of doing business will also help ease cross border trade and transportation of goods.

The institution will also help in timely processing of data and bring about improvement in the provision of quality services.

Under the Senate Secretariat Services (Amendment) Act 2021, signed into law by the President under article 75 of the Constitution, the BS-17 appointments in Senate Secretariat will be made through the Federal Public Service Commission.

However, the Senate Secretariat would be authorized to make appointments in BS-1 to BS-16.

Direct appointments in BS-18 in Senate Secretariat have been done away with. The absorption of officers, posted in Senate Secretariat on deputation, has also been prohibited under the new law.