Govt to stick to Rs40,000 crore disinvestment target: FM
Govt to stick to Rs40,000 crore disinvestment target: FM
New Delhi: The government on Friday said it will stick to its disinvestment target of Rs40,000 crore for the 2011-12 financial year, but achieving this goal will hinge on many other factors.
Seven months of the ongoing fiscal are over, but the government has been only able to raise Rs1,145 crore through a stake sale in Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and there are apprehensions that it may miss the mammoth Rs40,000 crore target for 2011-12.
Volatile stock market conditions have forced the government to delay proposed stake sales in PSUs. Global equity markets have been on a downslide on fears over the spiralling debt crisis in the euro zone, as well as the credit crunch in the US.
“All these aspects have to be taken into account and the government will take a decision at the appropriate time," Mukherjee said.
In view of uncertain market conditions, companies like SAIL and Hindustan Copper (HCL) have deferred planned issues of fresh equity issue, though the government may still go ahead with its proposal to offload stake.
It also plans to divest its stake in ONGC, Bhel, RINL, Hindustan Aeronautics and NBCC, among other companies.
Last fiscal, the government raised Rs22,763 crore through the sale of equity in public sector enterprises.
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