DISINVESTMENT
Government mulls 'creeping disinvestment'
The Union finance ministry is examining a proposal that seeks to dilute the government’s stake in all listed public sector undertakings to at least 90 per cent.
Our view is that ownership impacts the monitoring behavior of the firm. By its very nature public sector ownership is more widely distributed than a private firm’s. Since there is no way for any single owner to sell (alienate) his or her share of the public sector, public owners stand to gain or lose less from firm performance than do private owners, who can sell their shares. These two factors combine to produce sub-optimal levels of monitoring in the public sector. Thus, diluting just 10 percent will still leave ownership very diffused and will not have a positive impact on monitoring and hence performance. In the absence of a majority stake shake out this is just an exercise to raise revenues with little impact on efficiency.
REGULATION
Centre to set up regulatory body for the coal sector
The Centre has initiated work on setting up a regulatory body for the coal sector for the creation of a competitive coal market for user industries.
Our view is that proliferation of regulatory bodies is just a mechanism by the State to create sinecures for its retiring bureaucrats. In the absence of any serious debate on a coherent framework for regulation, regulatory authorities have mushroomed in an ad-hoc fashion without any clear mandate based on principles. For instance, with separate regulators for electricity, petrol and gas and now the proposed coal regulator indicates the either a lack of a clear understanding or cynicism regarding the role of these important institutions in a market economy. Going forward a consolidating legislation will be required to set up more efficient multi-sector regulators. This would eliminate proliferation of regulatory commissions, economise on scarce domain knowledge and most importantly reduce capture by parent ministries.
ENERGY
RIL fails to find enough takers for KG gas
RIL is running its production unit under its capacity as many consumers are not using allocated quota.
Our view as has been noted earlier is that the government should do away with national allocation priorities and quotas (as was indeed the original reforms mandate under NELP). It is ironical that India has plenty of this natural resource but myopic policy has made a mess of its utilization. The allocation mechanism has killed the market for gas even before it could take off. The gas allocation policy is predicated on a completely faulty price-fixation policy. An open bidding process, a cost-plus method or an indexation to oil prices would have been a better way for price discovery in this crucial sector. Is the policy protecting the producer?
1. Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Research/Home/Research%20Area/Policy%20and%20Institutional%20Analysis/
Policy News
&
Views
Volume 1, Issue 8, July 2009
DISINVESTMENT
Government mulls 'creeping disinvestment'
The Union finance ministry is examining a proposal that
seeks to dilute the government’s stake in all listed public
sector undertakings to at least 90 per cent.
Our view is that ownership impacts the monitoring
behavior of the firm. By its very nature public sector
ownership is more widely distributed than a private firm’s.
Since there is no way for any single owner to sell
(alienate) his or her share of the public sector, public
owners stand to gain or lose less from firm performance
than do private owners, who can sell their shares. These
two factors combine to produce sub-optimal levels of
monitoring in the public sector. Thus, diluting just 10
http://www.indicus.net/Newsletter/Policy_News_Views.aspx
2. Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Research/Home/Research%20Area/Policy%20and%20Institutional%20Analysis/
percent will still leave ownership very diffused and will not
have a positive impact on monitoring and hence
performance. In the absence of a majority stake shake
out this is just an exercise to raise revenues with little
impact on efficiency.
REGULATION
Centre to set up regulatory body for the coal sector
The Centre has initiated work on setting up a regulatory
body for the coal sector for the creation of a competitive
coal market for user industries.
Our view is that proliferation of regulatory bodies is just a
mechanism by the State to create sinecures for its retiring
bureaucrats. In the absence of any serious debate on a
coherent framework for regulation, regulatory authorities
have mushroomed in an ad-hoc fashion without any clear
mandate based on principles. For instance, with separate
regulators for electricity, petrol and gas and now the
proposed coal regulator indicates the either a lack of a
clear understanding or cynicism regarding the role of
these important institutions in a market economy. Going
forward a consolidating legislation will be required to set
up more efficient multi-sector regulators. This would
eliminate proliferation of regulatory commissions,
economise on scarce domain knowledge and most
importantly reduce capture by parent ministries.
ENERGY
RIL fails to find enough takers for KG gas
RIL is running its production unit under its capacity as
many consumers are not using allocated quota.
http://www.indicus.net/Newsletter/Policy_News_Views.aspx
3. Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Research/Home/Research%20Area/Policy%20and%20Institutional%20Analysis/
Our view as has been noted earlier is that the government
should do away with national allocation priorities and
quotas (as was indeed the original reforms mandate under
NELP). It is ironical that India has plenty of this natural
resource but myopic policy has made a mess of its
utilization. The allocation mechanism has killed the market
for gas even before it could take off. The gas allocation
policy is predicated on a completely faulty price-fixation
policy. An open bidding process, a cost-plus method or an
indexation to oil prices would have been a better way for
price discovery in this crucial sector. Is the policy
protecting the producer?
Government to build national gas highways
The government plans to take up all main gas pipeline
projects in the country in a move that could end the
dominance of Gail India and Reliance Industries in the
sector.
A good step in our view as it is in line with the “essential
facility” doctrine. The producers being the owners of the
pipelines reduce the level of competition in gas
production. Thus, if the infrastructure investment is made
by the government in a PPP mode for this “essential
facility”, evacuation of gas will be easier and reduce the
investment risk of the producers.
EDUCATION
Private medical colleges charging illegal donations
Despite explicit Supreme Court’s ban on capitation fees
six years before, these illegal donations are still thriving in
the country, making a mockery of regulation and values of
merit in education.
http://www.indicus.net/Newsletter/Policy_News_Views.aspx
4. Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Research/Home/Research%20Area/Policy%20and%20Institutional%20Analysis/
Our view is that a weak regulatory system and the
tyranny of the political class and other vested interests in
higher education has lead to the capture of the
professional education space by unscrupulous elements
and by people who have no competence in running
institutes of higher learning. Consequences of this are
outright corruption in education delivery and the collusion
of the regulators with the management that creates
perverse incentives for all the involved stakeholders.
More News
Government mulls cess on natural gas to fund
pipeline plan
The government is mulling levy of small cess on natural
gas to fund construction of national gas highway network
even as it plans to extend LPG reach to rural areas and
launch smart cards for kerosene.
Government hints at raising NREGS grants by 50
percent
The government had indicated that it was going to make
the social sector the centrepiece of the upcoming Budget.
The government has written to all state governments to
send fresh proposals for allocations to be made in the
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS)
and the Backward Regions Grants Fund (BRGF).
Cabinet to consider easing open access for power
In a move that could finally open the power market in
India, the Prime Minister has asked the Cabinet
Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) to decide on a
Planning Commission proposal to allocate a portion of
power generated from centrally-owned utilities for open
access to large consumers.
http://www.indicus.net/Newsletter/Policy_News_Views.aspx
5. Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Research/Home/Research%20Area/Policy%20and%20Institutional%20Analysis/
Separate ministries expected to boost shipping and
road sectors
The bifurcation of the erstwhile ministry of shipping, road
transport and highways into two separate departments
under different ministers has gone down well not only with
the trade constituents but also with the ministries
themselves.
Shipping Ministry to award Rs 3,300-cr projects in
100 days
As part of the first 100-day ‘action programme’ of the
government, the Shipping Ministry would award projects
worth more than Rs 3,300 crore for developing and
upgrading container and cargo terminals at various ports
in the country.
CERC for inter-state trade of wind power
To attract more investment in the renewable energy
sector, particularly in wind power, the Central Electricity
Regulatory Commission (CERC) has proposed that wind
power should be freely tradable across the country.
PMEAC recommends creation of unemployment fund
Prime Minster’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) has
recommended creation of an unemployment fund, which
will be financed by the industry, to take care of employees
losing jobs during the downturn.
National regulatory body for biotechnology sector
on the anvil
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6. Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Research/Home/Research%20Area/Policy%20and%20Institutional%20Analysis/
The national biotechnology regulatory authority will be set
up in partnership with the industry, keeping in view the
rapid strides being taken in the area of agro- and food
biotechnology research and application, according to the
minister of state for science and technology, government
of India.
Under-recoveries on sale of petroleum products up
sharply
The continued rally in international oil prices has turned
diesel margins red. Oil companies are losing Rs 2.96 on
sale of every litre of diesel sold in the fortnight beginning
June 16.
CCI to put large M&As on automatic route
India’s anti-trust body, the Competition Commission of
India (CCI), is planning to come out with regulations for
automatic approval to large mergers and acquisitions
(M&As) if these are not harming the consumers’ interest.
Riders for foreigners setting up supercritical power
units
Foreign companies looking to set up supercritical power
equipment manufacturing facilities in the country will have
to bring Rs 100 crore into the venture as initial capital
before getting permission to start operations, according to
a new proposal aimed at keeping away non-serious
players.
Companies face loss of captive coal mine allotment
Metal and power companies including Jindal Steel and
Power (JSPL), JSW Stainless, Hindustan Zinc and Nalco
face the prospect of losing their allotment of captive coal
http://www.indicus.net/Newsletter/Policy_News_Views.aspx
7. Indicus Analytics, An Economics Research Firm
http://indicus.net/Research/Home/Research%20Area/Policy%20and%20Institutional%20Analysis/
mines with the ministry of coal planning to issue show-
cause notices to all companies that have failed to meet
the milestones finalized for the development of captive
coal mines.
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