The Director-General, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Benjamin Dikki, yesterday disclosed that the bureau is expected to generate about N535.3 billion from definite privatisation transactions this year.

The disclosure came as Vice-President  Namadi Sambo yesterday assured  the Senate Committee on Privatisation of federal government's determination to ensure the success of the privatisation programme.

Dikki said an additional N211.3 billion was expected to be realised from prospective transactions when executed.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja to unveil the agency's 2014 Work Plan, he said the bureau had proposed to handle a total of 23 definite and 29 prospective transactions within the year.

It was further revealed that the federal government intended to go ahead with the proposed privatisation of four refineries including those of Port-Harcourt (1 and 2), Warri and Kaduna and also conclude the sale of SPDC assets.
However, Dikki said the sale of the refineries would only commence after due approval by labour unions which he said had already expressed their willingness to dialogue with government to develop appropriate business model for the refineries.

"This will be followed up and should lead to the commencement of the privatisation process in 2014," he said.
To this effect, he said the steering committtee was expected to commence work and draft an appropriate framework for privatisation which would be acceptable to all stakeholders.

The DG also said it would commence the process of executing the Guided Liquidation of the Nigerian Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) and its mobile arm, Mtel, having gotten the necessary legal requirement as well as the appointment of a liquidator.

According to him, all active staff of NITEL have now been paid their entitlements expect for some few  individuals whose issues where being looked into.

Speaking further on the proposed activities for the year, Dikki said prospective transactions in the nation's Capital Market Unit for 2014 would include an Initial Public Offer of the federal government's 24 per cent shares in the Transcorp Hilton Hotels; appointment of privatisation advisers to carry out private placement of federal government shares in NICON Insurance and Nigeria Reinsurance; conduct a quick assessment to carry out deferred public offer of Niger Dock Plc shares and to carry out a quick assessment to offer the remaining 30 per cent of federal government shares in Egbin Power Plc to the public. Other privatisation activities slated for the year would be to obtain financial statements and other data to determine the timing of the public offer of shares in the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor companies and a quick assessment to start the deferred public offer in SAHCOL.

Meanwhile, among other things, the privatisation agency boss has also hinted that the agency was in a process of re-validating sales agreement with UC Rusal, the current management of the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON) following the failure of the preferred bidder, BFI Group to pay the agreed price for the plant.

However, the dispute over the execution of the share purchase agreement between BPE and BFIG is still being debated at the Supreme Court.

In the electric power department, Dikki said the bureau would conclude the residual labour issues and also sell the non-operational assets at Oji and Calabar power plants; Jointly conclude the privatisation of NIPP Plants with the NDPHC.

He said the BPE would also be working with relevant stakeholders in meeting the conditions precedent for the declaration of Transition Electricity Market and to continue to handle post privatisation issues relating to the Discos, Gencos and TCN. The BPE boss said  the agency and the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) would continue to use the reform and privatisation programme to institute corporate governance mechanisms to reduce government transfers to PEs and improve efficiency in the economy.

Meanwhile,  Sambo, who spoke  when he received members of the Senate Committee on Privatisation led by their Chairman, Senator Olugbenga Obadara, told the committee that the federal government had been working hard to ensure stable power supply across the country.

According to him, companies that won the bid in the power privatisation exercise were viable companies, adding that to monitor post-privatisation activities, government  set up a monitoring and evaluation standing committee that would ensure compliance to the terms of the sales-purchase agreement.


Sambo admitted  challenges in power  generation, but said  the issue of gas was not a component of the Ministry of Power but that of Petroleum Ministry.

He decried the issue of subsidised gas prices and observed that the International Oil Companies (IOCs) had not been investing in local gas supply. Sambo disclosed that  the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and IOCs were investing in the Liquefied Natural Gas (NLG), which is sold at much higher rate.


The IOCs had argued that they could not invest in gas which sold at less than one dollar because it is less than the cost of their production. Sambo advocated for the development of a gas master plan which would be executed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement due to its viability.

He stressed  that with the 10 Niger-Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC) thermal power plants, more pressure for gas requirements in millions of cubic feet is added. The vice-president told the committee  that  concrete efforts are being made to invest in the development of Gas infrastructure.


He explained to the senators that government was making  efforts in transmission, distribution and mixed generation efforts and assured them that there was no cause for alarm.

Other issues discussed were NITEL and MTEL privatisation and the position of government as regards refineries.
Earlier, the Senate Committee on Privatisation expressed concerns over the capability of the new owners to achieve the desired result envisaged by government.

Present at the meeting were Senators Emmanuel Afuariavwado, Gilbert Nnaji, Adamu Ibrahim, Abubakar Tutare, Atai  Aidoko Ali and Ibrahim Gobir with the Director-General of BPE, Dikki.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Thisday