Department of Disinvestment News

 In the first disinvestment of current fiscal, the government will on Wednesday sell 11.36 percent equity shares in electricity generator NHPC Ltd at Rs 21.75 apiece to raise about Rs 2,700 crore.

Finance Ministry today said the rechristened Department of Disinvestment will ensure that the unlisted PSUs with huge cash piles either pay special dividend or buyback government shares and gradually move towards listing

The government aims to collect Rs 56,500 crore through disinvestment in PSUs in the next fiscal, as per the Budget for 2016-17.

Government Monday said PSUs will now have to monetise their idle assets for new investments, while renaming the Department of Disinvestment to Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).

Global volatility in capital and currency markets has derailed the Rs 69,500-crore PSU stake sale programme for the year, but the government will go ahead with prudent and timely disinvestments, target for which should not be just confined to dates, a top official has said.

Facing challenges in meeting the disinvestment target, the Department of Disinvestment believes that foreign investors are showing preference for government bonds over the PSU stocks on offer.

As challenges emerge in meeting the mammoth Rs 69,500-crore disinvestment target for this fiscal, the government today put the blame on global commodities slowdown saying many identified PSUs are from this space.

The Department of Disinvestment wants that PSU stake sale target for the current fiscal be more than halved to Rs 30,000 crore in view of volatility in the stock markets.

Taking a leaf out of private firms, the Department of Disinvestment (DoD) wants listed PSUs to be more proactive in investor contact and keep them updated on company plans so as to facilitate a share sale on short notice to capture market highs.

In a bid to broad base retail participation in stock markets the Department of Disinvestment (DoD) has suggested tax incentives for small investors to invest in the equity market.

Looking to garner Rs 9,300 crore from Indian Oil share sale Monday, the government expects its disinvestment kitty so far this fiscal to swell to Rs 12,600 crore -- making it the best 'first-half' in 7 years.

Asked to garner a massive Rs 69,500 crore this fiscal, the Department of Disinvestment has told Finance Ministry it may be able to raise only about Rs 30,000 crore given the volatile market conditions.

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had earlier committed to the Finance Ministry that it will start investing from August 1 in the CPSE ETF, a top official said.

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) had earlier committed to the Finance Ministry that it will start investing from August 1 in the CPSE ETF, a top official said.

Facing a daunting Rs 69,500-crore PSU stake sale target, the Disinvestment Department has begun tapping new overseas markets like Australia, Japan and Canada to attract their cash-rich pension and sovereign wealth funds.

"The market and other related conditions will determine transaction completion time," DoD has told the merchant bankers to their query whether all the transactions would be completed in three years.

As per the roadmap, 10 per cent stake each would be diluted in Engineers India Ltd (EIL), NALCO, NMDC and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).

The Department of Disinvestment (DoD) wants the government to lay out a roadmap for fuel subsidy sharing before the Rs 14,000 crore stake sale in Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC), a top official said.

"We will meet Sebi to see if the time frame for opening of demat account can be reduced. It will help new retail investors to apply in the upcoming PSU disinvestments," a government official said.

The government is likely to offload 5 percent of its stake in Power Finance Corporation (PFC) next week which could fetch Rs 1,850 crore to the exchequer.