ISLAMABAD: The government on Friday decided to engage international operators to help run three major airports of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi with a view to attracting direct foreign investment and providing world-class facilities to passengers.
The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss the matters pertaining to the aviation sector, a PM Office press release said. It was decided that the government would hire the services of operators of international repute to run three major airports in the first phase.
As per the plan, the international operators would help run the said entities for a period of 20-25 years. The meeting also decided to engage the International Finance Corporation to provide consultancy services.
The international operators would provide the services of international standards at the said airports besides uplifting them through foreign investment. The meeting gave the Public Private Partnership Authority a go-ahead to initiate the formalities.
The prime minister instructed the Authority to ensure the accomplishment of the process transparently and in accordance with the highest standards.
The meeting was told that 44 countries were pursuing the public-private-partnership formula including the US, UK, India, Bahrain, and Brazil where the airports were run under the PPP mode.
Days earlier, the federal cabinet on Wednesday approved the decisions taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCoP) to hire a firm for giving Roosevelt Hotel in New York on lease.
The committee in its meeting held on Monday had asked the privatisation commission to appoint a financial adviser for leasing the hotel site. The government is stated to be considering a joint venture for a prospective mixed-use development of the site, which Pakistan owns. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar had chaired the CCoP meeting.
The lease issue of Roosevelt Hotel was among the agenda items of the CCoP meeting.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the authorities concerned to set up a committee tasked with making a plan to reduce electricity consumption in government offices by 30 per cent. The committee will comprise the Federal Minister for Energy, Federal Minister for Planning, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources and relevant secretaries. The prime minister gave the direction while chairing the federal cabinet meeting.
The meeting was told that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation have also prepared an awareness campaign about energy saving and austerity.
The federal cabinet discussed the ‘Proposed Energy Saving Plan’ presented by the Power Division. The meeting was briefed on the consultation conducted so far with the stakeholders regarding the energy saving plan.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing by the Ministry of Industries and Production regarding the generalization of the use of electric bikes across the country.
It was highlighted that currently 90 companies were manufacturing motorcycles and auto rickshaws in the country with a capacity to manufacture six million motorcycles annually. It was informed that 22 companies had been issued licenses to manufacture electric bikes in Pakistan.
