MOSCOW, August 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov has approved the federal property privatization program for 2007 and the key areas for federal property privatization for 2007-2009, the government's press service said Wednesday.
The Economic Development and Trade Ministry will implement the program.
Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said in early August that next year's privatization campaign will bring 41 billion rubles ($1.53 billion) into the treasury's coffers.
The government said 44 billion rubles ($1.65 billion) and 40 billion rubles ($1.5 billion) are expected in 2008 and 2009.
He said Aeroflot, Russia's flagship air carrier, and telecommunications giant Svyazinvest could feature among 1,600 state-owned companies slated for privatization in 2007.
Before they can be privatized, however, the minister said both Svyazinvest and Aeroflot will have to be taken off the government's list of strategic enterprises, which also includes defense, mining and other companies deemed key to Russia's national security and therefore off limits to foreign investors.
In August, Gref said Svyazinvest might be reorganized rather than privatized. He added his ministry remained in favor of selling the government's 75% stake.
The Russian government said that it has plans to privatize 368 federal state enterprises and 911 open joint-stock companies (JSCs) in 2007. The list of federal properties scheduled for privatization in 2007-2009 is published on the government's Web site.
Most state enterprises to be privatized are engaged in non-production spheres (78), the agro-industrial sector (58) and the defense industry (57). Most open JSCs to be privatized work in the agro-industrial sector (231), the non-production sphere (97), publishing (83) and the defense industry (58).
In terms of the federal stake, 785 joint-stock companies being privatized will be fully owned by the state, 12 companies will be more than half owned by the state, while the state-held stake in 87 companies will be 25-50% and the state will hold 25% and less in 911 companies.
On June 1, 2006, the Russian Federation owned 7,178 federal state enterprises and had stakes in 3,724 JSCs, including 100% stakes in 1,136 companies, 50-100% stakes in 397 companies, 25-50% in 885 firms and 25% and less in 1,063 companies. It held golden shares in 243 firms.
The government also said it plans to sell minority interests in 16 banks, including 1.376% of Investsberbank stock.
The cabinet press service said the government has compiled a list of six nuclear power industry enterprises planned for privatization. It also said that Moskovsky Metrostroi, Salekhard Airport and Ufa International Airport would be privatized.
