The lender wants a deal done by early 2022 Westpac Banking Corporation (ASX:WBC) is pulling out the stops in its attempts to get a sale of its $45.4 billion superannuation business across the line. Indicative bids are due in the coming week for the superannuation business, after the bank informed as many as 50 staff they would be cut or redeployed. Westpac's chief executive Peter King wants a deal agreed in the early months of calendar 2022, ahead of any risk BT's MySuper product could fail a second consecutive regulatory performance test and have to shut the door to new members. A sale of the superannuation business, alongside the investment platform and Pacific divisions, would also help the bank reduce its overall annual cost base. About $800m of costs are attributed to Westpac's so-called specialist businesses, essentially those that are up for sale. While the divestment announcements of a string of Westpac's businesses have gone relatively smoothly - think financial planning, vendor finance, general insurance and life insurance - the collapse of the sale of the Pacific unit has caused some angst. The competition regulator in Papua New Guinea blocked the deal, sending Westpac back to the drawing board. Now Westpac and its adviser on the superannuation sale, Morgan Stanley, are seeking to drum up as much interest as possible in the division. That includes from private equity and other industry players.