Privatisation Commission Approves Appointment of Financial Advisor for ZTBL

The Privatisation Commission has taken a significant step forward in the government's privatisation programme by approving the appointment of a consortium of financial advisors to handle the privatisation of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL). The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Muhammad Ali, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation and Chairman Privatisation Commission. The consortium, led by Next Capital Limited, was chosen from among six bidders, including leading consortiums headed by Arif Habib Limited, A.F. Ferguson, AKD Securities Limited, Bridge Factor, and JS Bank. The appointment marks a major milestone in the privatisation of ZTBL, which is a priority transaction in the current privatisation pipeline.

Key Takeaways:

• The Privatisation Commission has approved the appointment of a consortium of financial advisors, led by Next Capital Limited, to handle the privatisation of ZTBL.
• The consortium was chosen from among six bidders, including leading consortiums headed by Arif Habib Limited, A.F. Ferguson, AKD Securities Limited, Bridge Factor, and JS Bank.
• The appointment marks a significant step forward in the government's ongoing privatisation programme.
• The Privatisation Commission is actively advancing key transactions to promote efficiency, enhance private sector participation, and support broader financial sector reforms.
• ZTBL is among the priority transactions in the current privatisation pipeline.
• The appointment reflects the government's strong commitment to executing the privatisation process in a professional, transparent, and timely manner.
• The consortium will work closely with the Privatisation Commission to finalise the Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) and complete the privatisation process.

Statistics:

• Six consortiums bid for the privatisation of ZTBL, with the Next Capital Limited-led consortium emerging as the winner.
• The appointed consortium includes Ijaz Ahmed and Associates (Legal), Baker Tilly Mehmood Idrees Qamar (Accounting and Tax), Executives Network International (ENI: HR), Bridge Public Relations (Media), Savills Pakistan Pvt Ltd (RE-Valuer), and Prima Global Consulting Pvt Ltd (Actuarial).
• The appointed consortium secured the highest technical and financial ranking among the six bidders.

Sources:

• "Privatisation Commission approves appointment of Financial Advisor for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL)". (Source: Business Recorder)
• "Privatisation Commission takes significant step in privatisation of ZTBL". (Source: The Nation)