BPE to Partner Benue on Economic Reforms

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja 
The Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr. Alex Okoh, has pledged the agency’s willingness to deploy its expertise and technical know-how in assisting Benue State’s drive for privatisation, commercialisation, public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements and other economic reforms to bolster its economic development.
Okoh made the pledge during a courtesy visit by the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Mr. David Olofu, to the Bureau in Abuja.
The DG noted that the BPE, as the economic reform agency of the federal government, had in the past provided similar support to other states in the country. 
According to a statement issued by BPE’s Head, Public Communications, Ibeh Uzoma Chidi, the DG added that the Bureau had reformed many sectors of the Nigerian economy, including ports, financial institutions, power, pension and the telecoms sector.
The agency, which he said is mandated by the Public Enterprise (Privatisation and Commercialisation) Act of 1999, has been empowered to play an active role in the entrenchment of the use of 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 state’s economy by inaugurating an eight-member Council on Privatisation and Commercialisation.
Okoh added 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.
In his remarks, the Benue State Commissioner for Finance, Olofu, whose visit was on behalf of the state, thanked Okoh and the management of the BPE for the willingness to work closely with the state government to promote private sector participation in the state’s economic reform programmes.