BPE: FG committed to reviving moribund privitised enterprises

Alex Okoh, the director-general, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), says the federal government is committed to reviving moribund privatised enterprises in the country.

In a statement, Amina Othman, BPE’s head of public communications, said Okoh gave the assurance when he received the report of the federal government’s four inter-agency committees on the resuscitation of ailing and non-performing privatised enterprises in the country, on Friday.

The BPE DG said the bureau will collaborate with relevant agencies to resuscitate and bring to life the moribund enterprises.

Okoh said that the affected enterprises which were privatised about 10 years ago in the automobile sector, bricks and clay (housing) sector, oil palm sector, mines and solid minerals sector and others failed to meet the aim of privatisation and reform programme of the federal government.

“Hence the government through the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) directed the BPE to investigate the cause(s) for their inability to perform,” he said.

“Also to proffer viable and acceptable solutions to resuscitating them to perform optimally, create employment, boost the economy and increase Gross Domestic Product (GDP) among other benefits.”

In March 2019, the BPE inaugurated the four committees as part of its responsibility to make sure that all privatised entities provide dividends to Nigerians in line with the privatisation policy of the federal government.

The committees were made up of members drawn from the relevant sectors, ministries, BPE, and the private sector.

Members of the committees were charged with providing policy direction that will give further insight into the nature of the problems facing the sectors where the privatised entities operate. They will also proffer viable solutions to the problems.

Okoh assured that the findings of the committees would be shared among all stakeholders in order to spur them to meeting their organisational objectives and that of the federal government’s privatisation and reform programme.

He expressed optimism that the outcome would bring the desired solution to the non-performing privatised enterprises.