CM wants rules amended to commercialise properties of public sector entities

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed the relevant officials to amend the rules of business of all public sector entities to rapidly commercialise public properties and widen the resource base of the province.

He was presiding over a meeting for the commercialisation of public properties, high-rise buildings and widening fiscal space of the province here Tuesday, said an official handout. Advisors to Chief Minister Yousaf Ayub, Dr Amjad Ali, Additional Chief Secretary, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) and administrative secretaries and other high-ranking officials attended the meeting.

The participants discussed in details the properties of different public sector institutions and explored the way out to formally commercialise them. They also discussed the additional resource generation and made a number of decisions.

The chief minister said that the rules of business should not be seen as an obstacle to the whole process of commercialisation of public sector properties and resource generation mechanism. He directed the relevant officials to amend the rules of business if these were impeding the smooth process of commercialisation and resource generation mechanism.

He said that each department should immediately work out its plan of commercialisation. His government couldn’t afford the wastage of time, adding that he understood the gap between the public and private sectors performance and dynamism and asked the participants to develop a professional approach and even hire professionals if needed for the commercialisation of public property.

Pervez Khattak directed the Administration Department to transfer its 20 kanal of land in the Dabgari Garden for the incoming Rapid Bus Transit Project. He asked the secretaries Administration, Transport and director general of the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA) to finalise the modalities, making the land as part of the Rapid Bus Transport.

He said his government had given a plan and the department concerned should formulate the commercialisation process. The chief minister directed the quarters concerned for adopting a similar approach in all districts, where the public property was available and needed to be developed on commercial lines.

He said he had earlier given targets to different departments to enhance their earnings and widen their fiscal space and directed to immediately move to the target.“This province needed development because his government would not look to others for financial help. Therefore, there should be an approach for the stronger and sustainable resource base so that the province could stand on its own feet,” he added.

During the meeting, the chief minister was briefed about the vast commercial land of different departments worth trillion which could be multiplied through commercialisation.  The chief minister directed the departments to be on target and no department should fall short of target, earlier given to each department.