Govt rejects harsh conditions for PIA loan

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has refused to accept the harsh conditions set by commercial banks for providing a new loan of Rs15 billion to the struggling Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). A joint committee has also failed to find a workable solution to keep the airline flying until its privatisation.

The consortium of six commercial banks offered Rs15 billion in new loans to PIA, requesting sovereign guarantees, a letter of comfort, two aircraft as collateral, and a waiver from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), according to government sources.

The banks also linked the loan disbursement to an agreement on a settlement plan for Rs263 billion in old debts and sought protection under the laws of the United Arab Emirates and England. The finance ministry did not agree to these terms, stating that they protected the interests of the banks more than expected in return for giving a loan against sovereign guarantees, according to finance ministry sources.

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The spokesperson for the finance ministry, Qamar Abbasi did not respond to questions regarding whether the Ministry of Finance rejected the terms proposed by the commercial banks.

The sources said, Habib Bank Limited, National Bank of Pakistan, and Meezan Bank Limited each offered Rs3 billion to PIA, totalling Rs9 billion. The remaining Rs6 billion was offered by Faysal Bank Limited, Bank of Punjab, and Askari Bank Limited, each contributing Rs2 billion. The loans were sought to take possession of two confiscated aircraft of PIA and meet other financing needs, with a maximum repayment period of two years.

Privatisation Minister Fawad Hasan Fawad is making efforts to sell Pakistan’s largest loss-making entity. So far, he has managed a Presidential Ordinance to end high courts’ constitutional powers related to privatisation matters and has also approved new rules to exclude an entity from the pro-competition privatisation law, allowing for negotiated settlements under another Act of Parliament.

The banks proposed that half of the Rs15 billion lending would be against sovereign guarantees, which is acceptable to the finance ministry due to available fiscal space. For the remaining half of the Rs7.5 billion and covering its interest cost, the banks asked for a letter of comfort from the Ministry of Finance and two aircraft as collateral, according to sources.

Sources said that the Ministry of Finance did not accept the condition of extending the letter of comfort, stating it is against the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement and could open a new gate for other loss-making enterprises.

Read PC board approves rules to accelerate PIA privatisation

The banks offered the Rs15 billion loan at Karachi Interbank Offered rates plus 1.5%, translating to around 24% interest. However, the Ministry of Finance told the privatisation ministry that these borrowing rates were slightly higher.

According to sources, the banks have also asked the Ministry of Finance to arrange a waiver from prudential regulations from the SBP, as no provision will be accepted against a Rs15 billion loan in case of a default. However, the Ministry of Finance refused to play the mediator role between the banks and the SBP and stated that it may create the wrong precedent for other loss-making enterprises.

The banks also demanded exclusive rights on the PIA revenues from flights operated on UAE routes. They sought guarantees that PIA and the government would ensure regular operation of these flights without disruptions to fuel supplies. Revenues from UAE flights would go straight to a new account for principal and interest payments, according to another condition set by the banks. The banks also demanded that the lending be governed by the laws of Pakistan, UAE, and England and Wales.

The Rs15 billion cannot be restructured in the future and must be paid on time, according to the banks’ demands. The loan will only be disbursed when the debt restructuring plan is accepted by existing creditors, and the finance ministry has informed the Aviation Division, PIA, and the privatisation ministry to renegotiate the terms, said sources. Five of these six banks have already given PIA Rs220 billion in loans.

A joint technical committee of the banks and the government has failed to find a viable solution, and the committee’s third extension to give recommendations on three major terms of references has also lapsed, resulting in its natural death for now.

On October 23, Akhtar had set up the technical committee under the Chairmanship of the Secretary Privatisation Commission, Usman Bajwa. The committee had been tasked with arranging a new Rs15 billion loan for PIA and restructuring the old debt of Rs260 billion. The Bajwa-led committee has failed to achieve any of these objectives. The committee’s deadline expired last week, and it was supposed to submit recommendations by December 15th.

Usman Bajwa did not respond to questions about whether any recommendations were submitted to the finance minister who had set up the committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2023.

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