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PC may receive bids from Dubai, Abu Dhabi

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Businessmen in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have shown interests in purchasing assets being offered for privatisation by the Pakistan government.

This was stated by Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, while talking to newsmen at Consume 2000 on Thursday. The minister, who had just returned from UAE, said that both the public sector and private sector in Dubai and Abu Dhabi had shown interest in offering bids for some principal assets to be put up for privatisation. He did not name the assets.

He, however, said that the government planned to publicise these assets in the brotherly Islamic countries in an organised manner to attract customers.

Shaukat Aziz said that steps to increase remittances from abroad were discussed at a meeting of bankers held at State Bank on Thursday. He said that the government was seriously concerned over the decline in remittances to Rs. 1 billion.

The minister said that Bank Al Falah had prepared a study based on measures to beef up remittances. The State Bank will consider the study and will submit a report to the Finance Ministry for implementation.