Pakistan proposes merging PPP Authority and Privatisation Commission into single umbrella body

The federal government has tabled a bill in the National Assembly to establish a Privatisation and Public-Private Partnership Commission (PPPPC) by merging the Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3A) and the Privatisation Commission. The draft amends the Privatisation Commission Ordinance 2000 and the Public Private Partnership Authority Act 2017, arguing that the two agencies duplicate functions and that a single entity would streamline privatisation and PPP transactions.

It grants broad legal and investigative immunity to the incumbent chairman, Muhammad Ali, as well as former chairmen, secretaries, board members, officials and consultants, with public funds earmarked to defend any claims. The new commission will be chaired by Muhammad Ali, include a private-sector-dominant board with at least two women, and oversee four funds—including a privatisation fund and a viability gap fund—sourced from the federal budget, lenders and investments.

All existing P3A contracts will be transferred to the new commission, and staff will be retained for up to six months under unchanged terms. The bill also requires government agencies to submit detailed project lists within fifteen days and creates committees to review PPP pipeline proposals.