IESCO Privatisation Receives Strong Investor Interest - Privatisation of DISCOs Batch1 enters next phase with continued strong investor interest in IESCO
The Privatisation Commission (PC) has received an overwhelming response from domestic and international investors for the privatisation of Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO). Today, on the closing date for submission of Expressions of Interest (EOIs), the Commission received ten (10) EOIs from prospective investors seeking to acquire 51% to 100% shareholding in IESCO together with management control. The names of interested parties are as follows: 1. Aktor Elektrik Enerji Yatirimlari San. ve Tic. A.S. ?- Turkiye 2. Genvera Enerji A.S. - Turkiye 3. Cengiz Enerji Sanayii ve Ticaret A.S. – Turkiye 4. Engro Energy Limited 5. Artistic Milliners (Private) Limited Consortium - The Lake City Holdings, Fatima Capital Limited, Din Ventures (Pvt) Limited and Fazal Cloth Mills Limited 6. Hub Power Holding Limited Consortium - Lucky Cement Limited, Kohat Cement Limited and Metro Ventures (Private) Limited 7. Sapphire Fibers Limited 8. Novatex Limited 9. Bestway Cement Limited 10. Hasnaat Brothers Construction Co. (Pvt) Limited Constorium - Dhilal Holding Group, Pak Steel, Bio-Labs (Pvt) Limited and Farid Steel Casting (Pvt) Limited Investors from Türkiye and several of Pakistan’s leading business groups have submitted their interest. The Privatisation Commission appreciates the investor community’s extensive engagement during the domestic and international roadshows and welcomes their confidence in Pakistan’s power-sector reform agenda. “This is an important milestone in the privatisation of DISCOs. The strong response received for IESCO reflects that investors have confidence in the potential of Pakistan’s electricity distribution sector and in the Government’s commitment to a transparent, competitive and professionally managed process,” said Muhammad Ali, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation and Chairman, Privatisation Commission. “The Commission now looks forward to engaging constructively with the prequalified investors through the due-diligence process and to seek alignment on an equitable, transparent and predictable post-privatisation regime. The privatisation is intended to improve operational efficiency, modernise distribution infrastructure, strengthen customer service, reduce losses to support a more financially sustainable power sector, which Over time, will lead to more affordable and reliable power for consumers,” he added. The Expressions of Interest and Statements of Qualification (SOQs) submitted by the interested parties will now undergo a comprehensive evaluation against the approved prequalification criteria. Applicants meeting the prescribed requirements will be prequalified and invited to the next stage of the transaction, where they will be granted access to the Virtual Data Room (VDR) to undertake detailed buy-side due diligence. IESCO is among the three electricity distribution companies in DISCOs Batch-I, alongside Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) and Gujranwala Electric Power Company (GEPCO). Ten (10) interested parties have been prequalified for FESCO, whereas eleven (11) EOIs were received for GEPCO, which are currently under evaluation for prequalification. The Privatisation Commission remains committed to an open, transparent and competitive privatisation process, undertaken in the public interest and in support of the Federal Government’s wider power-sector reform agenda.
