Bolojan's reaction to PSD criticism regarding the sale of minority stakes in state companies: It is included in the government program
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan said on Friday, in an interview with Radio Romania Actualită, that the sale of minority stakes in state companies is a measure passed in the governing program, which was discussed in recent months with representatives of all parties.
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan was asked on Friday, in an interview on Radio Romania Actualità, about the vehement criticism from a part of PSD following the announcement made on Thursday by Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu regarding the Government's intention to sell part of the shares of some state companies on the stock market.
Was the measure discussed with the PSD representatives in the Government or in the Coalition?
“I would like to make it clear that this is the sale of some minority stakes in such a way that the state remains the majority shareholder, because some of these companies are of a strategic type and this majority is needed. What does the sale of shares practically solve? We have a fairly limited capital market. We are an emerging market and in order to develop the capital market, these shares could be bought with the money from Romanians' private pensions, from other investment funds,” said Ilire Bolognese.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the involvement of the private sector in a larger share will be a gain on several levels.
“Companies will be managed better, because being a private administration in a larger proportion, they certainly don't want to lose their money, because they are responsible for it. It's not like the state where sometimes you are not responsible for anything. It means that they will be more transparently managed and it will be a win for the financial markets, for the state budget and as a whole”, stated the prime minister.
He then responded to the PSD critics.
“All this discussion related to the sale of packages is related to the government program, it is included in the government program, and it is related to the discussions we had during these months. Including the report presented by Mrs. Deputy Prime Minister, it was discussed in working groups with representatives of all parties and was an information in the government meeting, and when asked if there were objections or reservations, there were no reservations and it was approved in the last meeting by government”, Ilie Bolojan also declared.
What is written in the government program
In the PSD-PNL-USR-UDMR-Minorities Government Program for the period 2025-2028, it is provided in the chapter “Corporate governance in state companies”: “listing on the stock exchange some minority stakes, without ceding the state's majority position for public companies”.
Grindeanu announces a bill to prohibit the sale of shares in profitable state companies
The president of the PSD, Sorin Grindeanu, announced on Friday, in a press conference, that he asked Senator Daniel Zamfir to initiate a bill in the Parliament to ban the sale of shares in profitable state companies for a period of two years.
According to the draft law obtained by HotNews, “it is prohibited, until December 31, 2027, to alienate the shares held by the state in national companies and societies, in credit institutions, as well as in any other company in which the state has the capacity of shareholder, regardless of the share of the social capital held”.
Excluded from this provision are “companies, companies and credit institutions that register losses for five consecutive years, or for which the insolvency procedure has been initiated, by a final court decision, as well as actions whose total value, on December 31 of the previous fiscal year, does not exceed 5 million lei for each company, company or credit institution.”
Government plans
The announcement comes a day after Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu presented an “exploratory list” of several companies that may qualify for listing on the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB), with minority stakes.
In a post made Thursday evening on Facebook, Prime Minister Bolojan said that a list of companies that could be listed on the stock exchange, through the sale of minority stakes, is being worked on, depending on the profile of each one.
“The state will remain the majority shareholder, and control over strategic decisions will be fully maintained”, explains the prime minister, specifying that among the companies considered are Hidroelectrica, Romgaz and CEC Bank, and for others, such as Transgaz, the Port of Constanţa or the Romanian Post, the process depends on the fulfillment of certain preconditions.
