SERBIA: CORPORATE SHARE GIVE AWAY - GOOD ECONOMICS? GOOD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BELGRADE 000051 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN KPRV SR SUBJECT: SERBIA: CORPORATE SHARE GIVE AWAY - GOOD ECONOMICS? GOOD POLITICS? OR BOTH? REF: 07 BELGRADE 1144 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. On December 26, the Serbian Parliament approved a law on the free distribution of shares of privatized and soon to be privatized companies to Serbian citizens. The law was approved less than two months after Economy and Regional Development Minister Dinkic first proposed it. The law started an acrimonious public debate as trade unions from the state-owned companies initially rejected the law's provisions. This law gives the government a popular program that promises corporate shares (money) in people's pockets just as the January 2008 Presidential election campaign heats up. End Summary. GOVERNMENT PROMISES FREE SHARES FOR 4 MILLION PEOPLE -------------- -------------- ¶2. The current privatization law states that there will be a distribution of shares from the privatization process of socially-owned companies (small and medium sized firms technically owned by their workers, unlike the large state-owned firms) to citizens that have not already received shares during the privatization process. Privatization of socially-owned companies has been on-going since 2001 and must be completed by December 2008 (reftel). In the privatization process 15% of the company's shares are set aside for company employees and 15% are set aside with the Privatization Registry for distribution to citizens who are not employees of socially-owned companies. However, the current privatization law does not specify exactly how shares should be distributed. Some four million citizens who do not work for socially-owned firms have the right to receive free shares in socially-owned companies. These beneficiaries include employees in the police, army, education sector, judiciary, health sector, government officials, state-owned companies, pensioners, farmers, unemployed, etc. ¶3. On November 5, Economy and Regional Development Minister Mladjan Dinkic, presented his concept for privatization of large state-owned companies between 2008 and 2010 and a draft law on free distribution of shares to citizens. Dinkic said his plan would begin the distribution of the free shares before the privatization of the socially-owned companies was finished. Dinkic added that beginning the privatization of state-owned companies should enable free distribution of shares in state-owned companies, as well as 
increasing the value of shares distributed to citizens. BUT, THE SHARE FUND PROVIDED LESS THAN $100 PER PERSON -------------- -------------- ¶4. Currently, shares from 68 former socially-owned companies sold by public tender have been deposited in the Privatization Registry. According to some estimates, the value of all shares in the Registry is approximately $345 million. Dividing this amount to 4 million citizens, would have meant that every citizen would receive roughly $86. In order to increase the value of shares to more than $1,400 per citizen, Dinkic used the planned privatization of large state-owned companies to distribute shares for free from these companies, as well. ¶5. The large state-owned companies differ from the socially-owned firms as these large companies are owned by the state, not the firms' workers. These companies fall into two categories. In the first group, including the oil firm NIS and national airline JAT, Dinkic proposed that a majority share would be sold to a strategic partner and a 15% share of each company would be distributed to citizens. The second group of companies consisted of electricity firm EPS, Telecom Serbia, the Belgrade airport and pharmaceutical company Galenika, where a 15% share would be sold through an initial public offering (IPO) on the stock market and an additional 15% would be distributed for free to citizens. Companies would not be offered at the same time, but one by one. Each of the state-owned firms would have a separate privatization strategy and law. Money from the IPO's would go both to the budget and for necessary investments in the companies. TRADE UNIONS OPPOSED -------------- ¶6. Dinkic's plan met resistance from state-owned employee unions. As noted, current and former employees of privatized socially-owned companies receive up to a 15% share in firms as part of the privatization process. Employees of state-owned firms wanted to receive the same benefits. Dinkic originally offered state-owned firm employees privileged status to buy up to 4% of the shares in the company at a 50% discount. On November 22, the unions organized a one-hour warning strike in all state-owned companies proposed for privatization. ¶7. The law was adopted in Parliament on December 26 gives BELGRADE 00000051 002.2 OF 002 state-owned company employees shares of their companies according to their years of service and the estimated market value of the company before privatization. Typical employees are expected to receive between $5,700 and $7,100. Milorad Panovic, President of the Nezavisnost branch trade union of the chemistry, non-metal energy and mining industry, told Econ FSN on December 28, that both trade unions were satisfied with the adopted solution and that all strike threats had been withdrawn. POSITIVE OPINIONS FROM EXPERTS -------------- ¶8. The opinions of experts and former government officials regarding the free shares law are generally positive. Aleksandar Vlahovic, Minister of Privatization during the Djindjic Government and DS member, said on December 5 to Econ FSN, that the plan was fully in accordance with the World Bank's suggestions and the current law on privatization. Rade Rakocevic, broker and former owner of the successful brokerage firm Senzal, told Econ FSN on November 21 that IPOs of the big state-owned companies would contribute to the "deepening and widening" of the Belgrade Stock Exchange (BSE). He noted that Serbian brokers were investing in the Croatian stock exchange since appearance of the Croatian Petroleum Industry INA and Croatian Telekom increased investment opportunities. Luka Andric, State Secretary at the Economy and Regional Development Ministry, confirmed on December 5 to Econ FSN that the Ministry used the technical expertise of the World Bank in drafting the law on free shares. Comment -------------- ¶9. The Government was in a rush to approve Dinkic's draft law before the January 20, 2008, presidential elections, so that the government (and President Tadic) could take credit for putting money (shares) four million voters' pockets. Dinkic pushed through a proposal that was initially dismissed, even by other parties in the government coalition. Even more important may be the effect that public share ownership could have in pushing forward privatization and weakening the hold that political parties have over state-owned companies. There are risks to the shares distribution strategy, and protection mechanisms within the law to ensure market pricing will be critical to avoid problems that have plagued similar share giveaways. Ultimately, this plan may unleash the economic potential within these "dinosaur" companies and help to turn them into engines for the Serbian economy. End Comment. MUNTER