Government of Pakistan
Privatisation Commission

PTCL-NRL PRIVATISATION GAVE BIG BOOST TO PRIVATISATION
PROCESS & PROGRAM- DR. HAFFEZ SHAIKH

Karachi, July 07, 2005

The successful and the transparent privatization of National Refinery Limited (NRL) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has given big boost to Pakistan's Privatisation Program and the process. Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Federal Minister for Privatisation & Investment stated this while addressing the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) ceremony for the sale of 51 % strategic stake in NRL here today.

Dr. Shaikh said that we were proud to conduct privatisation of 27 transactions in most transparent manner and without lay off of a single employee, which he termed as pro-employee privatisation, restoring the investors confidence in Pakistan's Privatisation Program and the process. The privatisation targets could have not been achieved without the support from the top level in the government and the Privatisation Commission enjoyed full support of President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in this regard, he said.

The Minister while talking to the newsmen said that during the past two years PC has realized proceeds worth Rs.260 billion through the privatisation process, which was a record as compare to first ten years of the privatisation process, which yielded Rs.60 billion while during the first three years of General Musharraf's government the proceeds worth Rs.36 billion were realized. As per PC Ordinance, the 90 % of the proceeds were being used to retire debt while 10 % were meant for poverty alleviation program, he added.

He further stated that GoP shares of seven companies were divested among 0.8 million people to the tune of Rs.23 billion, which in terms of value have increased to Rs.35 billion under the government's program, Privatisation for the People'. The privatisation of PSO, PPL, Pakistan Steel Mills, Karachi Shipyard, NIT, Mustehkam Cement would be under taken in future and their timings would be made known as and when these would be decided, he said.

Earlier, Mr. M. Tahsin  Khan Iqbal Secretary Privatisation Commission and Mr. Shuaib Malik of Attock Oil Group of Companies signed SPA documents and the Secretary PC handed over the 51 % shares certificates with transfer of management control documents to AOGC representative.

Source:
http://www.privatisation.gov.pk/Handout/HO-AR-05/July-05/HO-0272005%20PC%20Receives%20Remaining%20Amount%20of%20Rs.%2012.011

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