Hasina asks finance ministry to enlist SoEs in capital market

She asks the Finance Division and the finance secretary to select them

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the finance ministry to enlist the potential state-owned enterprises or SoEs, and government entities for going public to strengthen Bangladesh's capital market.

The directive came during the 9th meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in Dhaka on Thursday, state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reports.

After the meeting, Planning Division Senior Secretary Satyajit Karmakar told reporters that the prime minister did not specify the names of the SoEs, but asked the Finance Division and the finance secretary to carefully choose SoEs and relevant government enterprises before enlisting them in the capital market, according to the report.

Planning Minister Abdul Mannan described it as a crucial decision, stating that it would boost the competitiveness of government enterprises, allowing them to reduce their expenses over time.

He highlighted that this move would foster a culture of competition and enable SoEs to fund projects independently. Mannan added that a specific timeframe would be allocated for government enterprises and entities to join the capital market and compete with private companies.