PC BOARD PRE-QUALIFIES SEVEN PARTIES FOR PAKARAB FERTILIZERS LIMITED

Islamabad, November 19, 2004

The Board of Privatisation Commission, which met under the chairmanship of Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Federal Minister for Privatisation & Investment approved the recommendations of the pre-qualification Committee for Pakarab Fertilizers Limited and pre-qualified seven parties while three other parties were conditionally pre-qualified subject to submission of remaining requisite information in stipulated timeframe.

Addressing the meeting, the Minister said that the government was determined to deregulate public sector through transparent and competitive privatisation process to benefit the common man.

The Minister said that there was immense need to improve various sectors of the country to bring in efficiencies for providing quality services to the domestic and commercial consumers. He directed to provide comfort to the investors through effective policy measures, which should also take due care of the consumer's interests.

Dr. Hafeez Shaikh said that through the privatisation process the government had reduced the fiscal burden and the losses and at the same time the privatized entities had started contributing through generating revenues and simultaneously adding value to the Government's remaining shareholdings in such units. The government was committed to the economic and structural reforms process through the privatisation of the Public sector entities following a transparent and competitive process, he said.

The PC Board recommended the inclusion of Initial Public Offering of GoP shares in State Life Insurance Company and Pakistan Steel Mills and allowed to initiate the process for appointment of Lead Manager for both entities from the PC panel through a competitive process in consultation with the respective stakeholders. The respective Lead Manager and the Advisor also gave the PC Board presentation on the forth coming IPO of KAPCO and the privatisation status of CTI to take forward these transactions. The Privatisation Commission Board also reviewed the progress and status of various other ongoing transactions. While appreciating the performance of  Privatisation Commission, the Board also approved its Annual Report for the year 2004 for publication.

The PC Board members, senior officials of the respective Ministries and other organisations attended the meeting.