In recent months, discussions surrounding privatization have gained momentum, spurred on by the formation of the prime minister’s economic advisory council, a diverse assembly comprising business leaders and retired bureaucrats,…
When you hear senior government officials declaring repeatedly that ‘business is not the business of the state’ you can tell they are not just wrestling with the problem: what do…
The newly elected coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is under immense IMF pressure to privatize several public-sector entities. PIA and power distribution companies (DISCOs) top the privatization…
PM Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the authorities concerned to expedite the privatization process of our national airline, PIA. This is not a new story, though. The privatization of loss-makers like…
Pakistan's economic engine is sputtering, with growth stagnating at a mere one per cent. The budget deficit, ballooning at Rs8,500 billion, casts a shadow of uncertainty over fiscal stability, while…
International Financial Institutions (IFIs) persistently prescribe privatization as a panacea for developing countries including Pakistan. But economic reforms and privatization are scary terms in Pakistan. It is worth noting that,…
There’s a bloodbath going on in our so-called Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs). Is there a commercial entity in the world with assets of Rs150 billion and accumulated losses of Rs750…
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (Nepra) recent report on the billing practices of Pakistan’s distribution companies (DISCOs) for July and August 2023 offers a comprehensive and critical examination of…
When Fawad Hasan Fawad became the caretaker federal minister for privatization on September 12, 2023 and was given the responsibility to look into the privatization of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA),…
Whenever the economy is in hot waters, selling state-owned enterprises (SOEs) is seen as a key ingredient of the recipe for economic recovery. The IMF, the lender of last resort,…
