HAFEEZ FOR EXTENDING BENEFITS OF PRIVATISATION TO HAVE NOTS

Islamabad, April 7, 2005

The Privatisation Commission Board should ensure extending benefits of privatisation to maximum possible people particularly the workers and employees of the entities being privatised. Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Federal Minister for Privatisation & Investment issued these instructions while addressing PC Board meeting held here today.

The Minister said that Pakistan's privatisation process was pro-employees/workers and pro-poor. The policy of 'Privatisation for the People' was aimed  at to transfer the benefits of privatisation to the maximum common citizens of the country enabling them to share the ownership of national assets, he said.

The PC Board approved the recommendations for Initial Public Offering (IPO)  of United Bank Ltd (UBL) to benefit maximum small investors for approval of the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCOP).

The PC Board also formulated certain recommendations for approval of the CCOP to further facilitate early privatisation of PTCL, NRL and other entities in an orderly and transparent manner. The meeting reviewed the implementation of various decisions and the status of the ongoing and upcoming transactions and expressed satisfaction over the pace of the process.

The representatives of the respective ministries/ departments, SECP, SBP  and Privatisation Commission attended the meeting.