PRIVATIZATION: BPE to carry out 19 transactions valued at N270bn in 2020
By MBAFAN ADE, Abuja –
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), has announced plans to carry out 19 transactions in 2020.
Director-General of the Bureau, Mr. Alex A. Okoh, made this known when he received members of the Senate Committee on Privatization and Commercialization led by its Chairman, Chief Theodore A. Orji (Ochendo) who were on an oversight visit to the head office the BPE in Maitama, Abuja on Thursday.
The Bureau’s Head, Public Communications, Amina Tukur Othman, in a statement, quoted Okoh as saying the transactions would be carried out in Health, Education, Energy and other sectors of the Nigerian economy.
According to the Director-General, the transactions are expected to impact on the Nigerian economy, especially in the areas of infrastructure development, improved power generation and supply, food security and job creation.
He expressed the Bureau’s willingness to work closely with members of the Committee to ensure that BPE delivers on it mandate for the benefit of the nation.
Although he did not disclose to visiting Senate committee members the value of the 19 transactions, the Director-General had, during a recent media breakfast in Abuja, disclosed that the Bureau was projected a total revenue of N270 billion from the sale of public enterprises earmarked for privatization this year.
Okoh listed some of the challenges facing the privatisation agency in the discharge of its mandate to include, budgetary constraints, non- enactment of some important reform Bills (e.g National Transport Commission Bill, Roads Bill etc), overlapping mandate between BPE and ICRC on concession and PPP Projects and economic policy.
Responding, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatization and commercialization expressed delight at the oversight visit, stating that the committee had been anxious to visit the Bureau to know about privatization and other reform activities of BPE.
He pledged the Committee’s commitment to work with the Bureau to overcome the challenges mitigating the privatization programme of the Federal Government and deliver the benefits to the Nigerian populace.