India’s government and a clutch of state-owned companies already own 87 percent of ONGC. The only upside for ONGC investors is the price of crude. If that’s fixed, then there’s no reason to own its shares.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
Independence Day honours for ADG Strat Comm team behind Op Sindoor’s strategic messaging, including the logo designer, for real-time narrative control & countering misinfo.
Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.
The government’s woes extend beyond taking ONGC private. Given public sentiment over high fuel prices and the imminence of the next general election – perhaps even in Nov / Dec – it must be with a very heavy heart that it is not affording them any relief by cutting excise duties. The state governments are being nudged to cut VAT but they are equally fiscally stretched, with farm loan waivers adding to the burden. 2. The tax structure for fuels got distorted when oil fell to $ 40 or even lower. The entire windfall was soaked up by central / state governments, who thought it would be permanent. They made no provision for a contingency where the gain might prove to be transient. 3. The windfall, ten trillion by some estimates, has masked economic slowdown with its attendant reduced tax buoyancy. We are now getting a clearer picture about how prudently public finances have been managed. There are also no shiny new capital projects to account for where this largesse has been spent.
Given that the bulk of at-pump petrol price in India is tax, why even the question?
The government’s woes extend beyond taking ONGC private. Given public sentiment over high fuel prices and the imminence of the next general election – perhaps even in Nov / Dec – it must be with a very heavy heart that it is not affording them any relief by cutting excise duties. The state governments are being nudged to cut VAT but they are equally fiscally stretched, with farm loan waivers adding to the burden. 2. The tax structure for fuels got distorted when oil fell to $ 40 or even lower. The entire windfall was soaked up by central / state governments, who thought it would be permanent. They made no provision for a contingency where the gain might prove to be transient. 3. The windfall, ten trillion by some estimates, has masked economic slowdown with its attendant reduced tax buoyancy. We are now getting a clearer picture about how prudently public finances have been managed. There are also no shiny new capital projects to account for where this largesse has been spent.