ISLAMABAD: The Federal Cabinet has asked Ministries/ Divisions to further rationalise the necessity to categorise any State Owned Entity (SOE) as “Strategic” or “Essential” in preparation for the upcoming meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister.
The Secretary Cabinet reported that the Finance Division has identified 84 State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in the Triage process, while the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Entities (CCoSOEs) reviewed 61 of them. Of these, 15 SOEs have been categorized as “Essential” and 5 as “Strategic.”
Additionally, 18 SOEs have been marked for privatization. The CCoSOEs have considered 22 SOEs, with another 7 still awaiting review. There are also three Ministries that have not yet submitted their cases.
Sources revealed that the Cabinet stressed the importance of careful consideration and a strong rationale when categorizing SOEs as “Strategic” or “Essential.” This process will help decide which SOEs should remain under government control, be privatized, or wound up. Some Cabinet members felt that further discussion was needed and suggested holding a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to finalize the categorization process.
After a thorough discussion, the Cabinet instructed all relevant Ministries and Divisions to refine their justifications for classifying any SOE as “Strategic” or “Essential” in preparation for the upcoming meeting with the Prime Minister.
