Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park: Shehbaz forms committee to monitor privatisation

Cabinet’s committee to review bidding and other related matters

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday constituted a cabinet committee to review bidding and other matters for the privatisation of Bahawalpur’s Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park and other assets, according to provincial finance minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus.

The decision was taken during the first meeting of the cabinet’s standing committee, whose members included ministers of concerned departments, secretaries and technical members.



“The initial task of the committee is the privatisation of the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur,” said Dr Ayesha, the finance minister.

During the meeting, the chairman Punjab Privatisation Board (PPB) informed the minister that the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Private Limited has set up Pakistan’s first Solar Photo Voltaic Power Plant in Bahawalpur which is generating 100MW electricity.

According to Dr Ayesha, the total equity of the Punjab government in the project is Rs 3.8 billion, and power generation from the project has crossed the benchmarks set out by Nepra and earning good revenue.



She said the PPB was carrying out the process of privatisation of the company; and in the first phase, a Financial Advisory Services Agreement had been signed between the PPB and the United Bank Limited. Additionally, a transaction committee had also been established to supervise the process of privatisation, she added.

The minister said the second phase of the project would feature the process of prequalification of bidders; carrying out marketing and holding roadshows, and placing advertisements regarding the expression of interests for private sector participation.

Privatisation to be rolled out at govt colleges on trial basis

She directed the concerned officers and institutions to keep the rules and regulations of Nepra in view during the whole process. She also told them to ensure that local and foreign investors were informed through advertisements. She said the auctioning would be done in a corruption-free and transparent manner.

The meeting was attended by Punjab government spokesman Malik Ahmed, Energy Secretary Asad Gillani, Chairman Privatisation Board Tariq Ayyub Chohan, Chief Executive Officer Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Limited Muhammad Amjad, Additional Secretary Information and Culture Asif Ali, Director Law Making and Parliamentary Affairs Tahir Naeem, Secretary Colonies Board of Revenue, Member Planning and Development Sadat Ullah, Deputy Secretary Works, Communication and Investment Moeed Aman Rana, Deputy Secretary Information and Culture Department Rao Pervaiz Akhter, Head CFU Asad Khan, Consultant Privatisation Board Saqlain Arshad, Asad Baloch and Sarshar Ahmed Khan.