Russian privatisation: it’s back, sort of | beyondbrics

Russian privatisation: it’s back, sort of | beyondbrics:



"Investors look to Dmitry Medvedev to champion the cause for privatization. But Russia’s prime minister hardly sounded overly confident as he reviewed the government’s plans to sell off state assets on Monday.



“We have quite serious plans to raise around Rbs200bn ($5.7bn) from privatisations this year and I hope the plan will be fulfilled,” Medvedev told a government meeting. “We should not drag it out, but at the same time we should consider the economic circumstances in the world and in the country.”



Back in 2010 when Medvedev was serving as president, the Kremlin launched sweeping plans for the state to exit the economy. But many of the planned sales have been delayed by adverse market conditions or disagreements between rival interest groups and officials.



Medvedev, who stood down in 2012 to make way for Vladimir Putin to return for a third term as president, now leads a weak government where liberals advocating privatisation battle with conservatives who extol the virtues of state control over the economy."



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