ISLAMABAD – The government has removed 14 State Owned Enterprises (SOEs)including Pakistan International Airlines, Pakistan Railways, and PakistanSteels Mills from the list of privatization. Senate Standing Committee onPrivatization was informed here on Tuesday.
The other SOEs which were removed from the list of privatization includedNational Bank of Pakistan, Pakistan State Oil Company, Sui Northern GasPipeline, Sui Southern Gas Pipeline, Civil Aviation Authority, NationalHighway Authority, National Logistic Company, Trading CorporationofPakistan, Printing Corporation of Pakistan, Utility Stores, andIndustrial Development Bank.
The meeting of the committee was held here under the chairmanship ofSenator Mir Muhammad Yousuf Badini.
The committee was further informed that the government would privatizeeight SOEs on priority which include SME Bank, First Women Bank, HaveliBahadur Power Plant, Parri Petroleum, Lakhra Coal Mines, ServicesInternational Hotel Lahore, and Jinnah Convention Center Islamabad.
The committee was told that the government would privatize the SOEs afterputting them in profit so that the government could get a reasonable rate.
On the occasion, Minister for Privatization Mian Muhammad Soomro said therewas a threat of building circular debts on the SOEs so they would beprivatized on priority.
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Senator Farooq H Naik said the First Women Bank should not be privatized asit was a symbol of support to women from the government.
The meeting was also briefed in detail about the process of privatizationof K Electric.
The meeting was attended by Senators Farooq H Naik, Rubina Khalid, AbidaMuhammad Azeem, Secretary Privatization Commission Rizwan Malik, and otherofficials.
