The government is scheduled to present “The Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2024” in the National Assembly today, aiming to establish the Privatisation Appellate Tribunal through amendments to the Privatisation Commission Act, 2000.
According to the bill, the proposed Tribunal will be empowered to handle both civil and criminal matters related to privatisation. As outlined in clause-2(2) of the bill, the Tribunal will possess powers equivalent to those of a civil court, including summoning individuals, enforcing attendance, requiring the production of documents, receiving evidence, and issuing commissions for witness and document examination.
The Tribunal will comprise a chairperson, one technical member, and one judicial member, with a retired judge of the Supreme Court appointed as the chairperson. Members of the Tribunal will serve a term of three years, with the age limit set at 65 years.
The bill further stipulates that any party aggrieved by a decision of the Appellate Tribunal may appeal to the Supreme Court within sixty days. The establishment of the Tribunal is intended to ensure the timely and fair resolution of privatisation-related disputes, thereby facilitating the efficient closure of privatisation transactions and fulfilling the objectives of the Privatisation Commission Act.
