KARACHI: Experts expressed concern on Thursday over Shanghai Electric Power Company’s (SEPC) decision to terminate its $1.8 billion deal to acquire majority shares in Pakistan’s K-Electric (KE), citing the power utility company’s failure to meet conditions and Pakistan’s changing business environment.
SEPC has been in talks to acquire a stake in KE since 2016, delayed due to regulatory approvals and liquidity constraints as a consequence of mounting circular debt plaguing the country’s power sector. The government of Pakistan owns a 24.4 percent stake in KE, which powers the country’s largest city and commercial hub of Karachi.
As per the agreement, SEPC was to acquire 66.4 percent or 18.3 billion shares in KE, which is Pakistan’s largest private utility company, for $1.77 billion and an additional $27 million incentive payment, depending on KE’s operating performance.
SEPC’s decision to terminate the agreement was taken by its board during its Sept. 9 meeting and was notified to shareholders on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) the following day. The decision remains subject to review by shareholders.
“The counterparty has consistently failed to meet the closing conditions precedent, and changes in Pakistan’s business environment have resulted in this transaction no longer being aligned with the company’s international development strategy,” the SEPC said in its filing at the SSE.
