New Delhi: The government will protect the interest of policyholders of LIC, which is likely to go public in the next financial year, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur has said.
Listing of LIC will help bring in greater transparency, public participation and also deepen the equity market, he said.
"Government came out with the idea (LIC listing). The details will follow and it will be in the interest of LIC and its policyholders. Interest of LIC and policyholders will be safeguarded," he told PTI in an interview.
Asked about quantum of stake sale, he said, once the amendment to the LIC Act is finalised you will get all the details.
"LIC have an independent set-up to decide where they want to invest even today and what will continue in the next format that would come into light as well in the future," he said.
FM Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the Budget 2020-21 on Saturday proposed to sell a part of government stake in LIC through an initial public offer next fiscal.
The government aims to garner Rs 90,000 crore from the listing of LIC and stake dilution in IDBI Bank in the next fiscal out of total disinvestment target of Rs 2.10 lakh crore.
Assuring that the numbers presented in the Budget as realistic, Thakur said several measures announced in the Budget will help boost economy and meet nominal GDP growth target of 10% set in the Budget.
"Just three four months back the government announced corporate tax rate cut. It takes some time to implement that at the grassroot level. So, you will see impact of that in some time. That is why we have not said 7.5%, we have said 6.5% (growth). And that is a real and genuine numbers we are looking at," he said.
