ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) on Friday approved business plans submitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for addressing key operational challenges and outlining roadmaps for sustainable development, including organisational growth, financial sustainability and improved services for Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) and Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV).
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a meeting of CCoSOEs, here on Friday.
The committee reviewed separate business plans submitted by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for addressing key operational challenges and outlining roadmaps for sustainable development, including organisational growth, financial sustainability and improved services, for PBC and PTV.
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The plans were prepared in compliance with the directions of the CCoSOEs and the format prescribed by the Central Monitoring Unit (CMU) of the Finance Division.
The business plan submitted in respect of PBC mainly focused on a number of measures aimed at ensuring income generation through improved programme content, better signal quality, utilisation of seven large unutilised concrete spaces and six large tracts of open lands located in different cities, as well as, installation of ATM booths and advertising billboards at appropriate sites of the Radio Pakistan.
The committee was told that the PBC would be able to achieve a break-even in two years after the execution of the proposed business plan.
For the PTV, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted a business plan featuring measures and interventions targeting digital expansion, content licensing, profitable marketing partnerships, public private partnerships, and utilisation of PTV properties for maximising operational efficiency and overall revenue potential. The committee was told that out of 5,442 sanctioned posts of PTV, 1,232 posts had also been abolished to save costs.
The CCoSOEs deliberated on both the plans and approved them, emphasising the importance of achieving operational excellence and the need for timely implementation of planned actions to achieve desired results.
The committee also advised the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to work through administrative boards of both PBC and PTV to proactively make use of their unutilised spaces, assets and open lands, preferably selling them to private sector instead of engaging in a real estate activity at the cost of their core functions as state broadcasters.
The committee deliberated on the reconstitution of the Board of Directors of Karachi Tools, Dies, and Mould Centre (KTDMC) under the Ministry of Industries and Production.
The CCoSOEs approved the appointment of five principal candidates from the private sector, along with ex-officio directors, for a term of three years. Abdur Razaaq Gauhar was appointed as the chairman of the board. This reconstitution aims to improve corporate governance and ensure effective decision-making for the entity.
The reconstitution of the Board of Directors of the Technology Upgradation and Skills Development Company (TUSDEC) was also approved. The committee appointed six principal candidates from the private sector, along with ex-officio directors, for a term of three years. Muhammad Nooruddin Daud was selected as the chairman of the board.
This reconstitution aligns with the SOEs Ownership and Management Policy, 2023, focusing on enhancing operational efficiency and aligning the company’s goals with national priorities.
The meeting was attended by Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Minister for Maritime Affairs; Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for Housing and Works; Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Economic Affairs; federal secretaries; and senior officers from relevant ministries and divisions.
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