BPE Partners Benue Govt To Reform Economy

The Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), on Friday, pledged that it will deploy its expertise and technical know-how to assist the Benue State Government in its drive for privatisation, commercialisation, public-private partnership (PPP) and other economic reforms to accelerate Benue’s economic development.

The Director-General of the BPE, Mr. Alex Okoh made the pledge during a courtesy visit to the state commissioner for finance, Mr David Olofu.

Okoh noted that BPE, as the economic reform agency of the Federal Government had in the past, provided similar support to other states in the country and as well reformed many sectors of the Nigerian economy like the ports, financial institutions, power, pension and the telecoms sector.

According to him, the bureau mandate of the Public Enterprise (Privatisation and commercialisation) Act of 1999 has been empowered to play an active role in the entrenchment of the use of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in the delivery of infrastructure development and assets optimisation in Nigeria.

He commended the Benue State government for the initiative to incentivise private sector participation in the economy of the state by inaugurating an 8-member Council on Privatisation and Commercialisation.

The DG stated that the initiative was capable of attracting private sector capital inflow into the state and reduce government spending thereby freeing more funds for other developmental projects in the state.

Mr. David Olofu the state Commissioner for finance while responding on behalf of the Benue state government, thanked the Director-General and the management of the bureau for the willingness to work closely with the Benue state government to promote private sector participation in the state economic reform programmes.