Government may reduce its disinvestment target for 2011-12

09 Aug 2011 Evaluate

The government may reduce its disinvestment target for the current financial year in the wake of the recent global development and its adverse effect on the Indian capital market. The stock markets have been falling on account of global uncertainty. 

On the issue of government meeting the disinvestment target for the 2011-12, Disinvestment Secretary Mohammed Haleem Khan said, 'It is difficult to say, if the current target will remain intact or revised.” The government has set the target of raising Rs 40,000 crore from the sale of shares of the Public Sector Units (PSU). However, in the first quarter of current financial year, government has raised only Rs 1,144 crore by selling its stake in the Power Finance Corporation (PFC). The follow-on offer of PFC hit the market in May.
 
The global capital markets sentiment has been bearish due to the downgrading of United States by the credit rating agency Standard & Poor (S&P). S&P reduced US rating from AAA to AA+ for the first time in history. Disinvestment Secretary said, 'there are a few companies in the pipeline for disinvestment, but it is difficult to say when. We have a set of professional advisors to advise us on disinvestment,' however by adding further he said the government is monitoring the situation.

The government is expected to raise just above Rs 15,000 crore by selling its stake of PFC, SAIL, ONGC and HCL. The other PSU such as RINL, MMTC and NBCC were also on the government’s list for disinvestment however, the present market situation may prompt government to postpone equity sale. 

During 2010-11, government has raised around Rs 22,763 crore from sale of equity in PSUs such as SJVN, Engineers India, Coal India, Power Grid, and Shipping Corporation of India, however it had missed the target of Rs 40,000 crore.

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