ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has prepared a monitoring system for trade officers by dividing the stations into three broad categories. The monitoring system comprises quantifiable performance evaluation standards, key performance indicators (KPIs) and station specific performance targets.
The new monitoring system will be shared with the newly appointed trade officers, who are at present undergoing necessary training before posting abroad. It will also be shared with TDAP and the foreign heads of missions.
Sources at MoC told Customs Today that commerce ministry had devised a monitoring system in the light of directives of the prime minister on the eve of approval of the summary for posting of the trade officers abroad.
The sources said that stations which were engaged more towards trade diplomacy for bilateral and multilateral market access, or represent Pakistan’s economic interests at international organisations such as the world trade organization (WTO) were placed in Category I
While stations where both promotion and diplomacy activities were equally important were placed in Category II whereas stations at which the core activities are primarily driven by promotion of exports and investment are placed in category III.
“It is necessary to divide the stations on such lines as the weightage assigned to quantifiable targets may be different due to the varying nature of work in each case,” the sources added.
The sources said that points were assigned to each parameter based on its importance / weightage in the overall work of the trade officer. The relevant authority that will evaluate the performance based on the given parameters has also been mentioned alongside.
Similarly, the sources said that specific targets for each station shall be assigned separately in the Annual Plan of each officer, to: be approved by the Ministry of Commerce. The evaluation a trade officers based on the above criteria shall be managed on a robust feedback mechanism which is being prepared by the Ministry of Commerce in consultation with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
