Soomro for speeding up privatisation process

LAHORE:Federal Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Mian Soomro has directed the Punjab government to intensify the ongoing process of privatisation of Haveli Bahadur Shah Power Plant, Block Power Plant, Services International Hotel Lahore and other assets.

He held a meeting on privatisation here Thursday in the Civil Secretariat. Provincial Minister for Law and Punjab Liquidation Board Committee Chairman Raja Basharat was also present on the occasion.

The meeting discussed the obstacles to the ongoing privatisation process within the province and appropriate amendments to the Local Government and LDA rules. Muhammad Mian Soomro said the Punjab government's cooperation with the Federal Privatisation Board was commendable. He said that both the LDA and the Privatisation Commission should speed up the process for privatisation of the Services International Hotel, Lahore. He thanked provincial minister for law Raja Basharat for required legislation and other cooperation to make the privatisation process faster and easier.

Raja Basharat said that to speed up the privatisation process, the Punjab Cabinet has approved LDA Land Use Rules 2019, LDA Land Use Rules 2014 and Private Housing Schemes Rules 2014 on power plants.

He said these legal amendments would speed up the privatisation process. Federal Additional Secretary Privatisation Khaqan Babar, Additional Chief Secretary Shaukat Ali, Irrigation Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza, LDA DG and other officers also attended the meeting and gave briefing regarding their respective departments.