Disinvestment: The government must take a clear stance on PSE stake sales
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. In recent years, the government’s policy on disinvestment has been cloudy. While it has in the past endorsed the mantra that ‘the government has no business being in business,’ its actions would suggest otherwise.
Its move to grant Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) ‘Navratna’ status should bring back attention to this aspect of India’s policy. But first things first. These ticketing and financing arms, respectively, of the Railways will now join the ranks of a couple of dozen other public sector enterprises (PSEs) that have been proclaimed as proverbial crown jewels in the Centre’s portfolio of assets.
Navratna status is awarded on the basis of such criteria as the company’s earnings per share, inter-sectoral performance and key measures like net profit and net worth. The ratio of manpower cost to the total cost of output, return on capital employed and profit in proportion to turnover are also considered for eligibility. Based on this checklist, state-owned firms can be slotted into three classes of jewels: Maharatna, which is the highest, the mid-level Navratna bracket, or the Miniratna category.
It is more than just an honour. Jewel status gives a company greater operational autonomy in taking financial decisions or making investment moves, among other liberties. A Navratna company, for instance, is permitted to invest up to ₹1,000 crore or 15% of its net worth in a single project without the government’s approval.
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