Russia’s authorities are actively working on a new privatization plan, which was mentioned for the first time nearly one year ago. Very soon foreign investors will learn about shares of Russian companies, which will be sold on the market over the next 3 years.
It is not ruled out that the shares of the Savings Bank of the Russian Federation (Sberbank) and also those of the VTB Bank, as well as the shares of the RusHydro Company, which is the second biggest hydro-generating company in the world, and the Rosneft Company, which is the leader of Russia’s petroleum industry, and besides, the Oil Transporting Joint Stock Company Transneft will be traded. Possibly, big transport companies, airports and seaports will also be put on that list. The final 3-year privatization plan will be made public later this month. True, the plans for next year are not so big for the time being: the shares of both the natural monopolies and the enterprises of the military-industrial complex will not be put on sale, as the Russian Minister of Economic Development Elvira Nabiullina said. But later this issue will be discussed.
Russian experts say that such a well-balanced approach is justified. On the one hand, the privatization is aimed at adding something to the Russian budget. According to preliminary estimates, from 700 to 900 billion roubles may be added to the Russian budget over 3 years. On the other hand, Russia’s authorities do not want to begin the privatization this year, while the world markets remain unstable and investors are waiting.
And as regards foreign investors, privatization for them is a good chance for doing business in Russia, the Co-Chairman of the National Strategy Council Iosif Diskin says:Acquisition of capital in and the establishment of close contacts, for example, with the VTB Bank or with the Sberbank, make it possible to gain access to the Russian market.
And this is a good chance for doing work on a new level, because all these banks are closely linked with the main part of the Russian economy. Acquisition of capital and the establishment of partnership relations is not a direct way to the Russian market, which is again becoming very interesting for foreign investors.
It is not ruled out that those who already have shares in the facilities, put on sale, but would like to increase it, will show their interest in new shares. Other investors will be able, after buying certain Russian accounts, to build a more perfect business-model.
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