In a bid to boost the tourism sector, which has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the provincial chief executive has requested to speed up efforts to open the newly established provincial tourism authority.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan issued these orders while presiding over the 22nd board meeting of the Tourism Corporation of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCK-P).

CM Mahmood directed to immediately complete the formalities to open the newly established KP Cultural Tourism Authority.

The Chief Minister also ordered to take steps to liquidate TCK-P and hand over its assets and liabilities to the Culture and Tourism Authority. The TCK-P employees would be absorbed by the authority, he added.

Terming tourism as an important economic sector, the chief minister said its promotion is a top priority of his government.

The meeting was briefed on the progress so far in the winding up of TCK-P after the establishment of the Culture and Tourism Authority as stipulated in the KP Culture and Tourism Act, 2019.

The meeting decided to set up a committee headed by KP Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir to streamline and expedite all the legal, administrative and financial matters regarding the winding up of TCK-P in a prescribed manner.

The committee will prepare and present its recommendations to the competent forum within a week. Other members of the committee were the financial secretary, legal secretary, tourism secretary and establishment secretary.

KP Chief Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz, Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir, Finance Secretary Atif Rehman, Tourism Secretary Khushal Khan and TCK-P Managing Director Junaid Khan, Private Sector Board members and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Pakinomist, June 28^th2020.