Last Updated : 05 October 2012 at 09:10 IST
India government has announced a slew of reforms, perhaps the greatest of such ventures since the termination of license raj.
Now, the question is how the markets would be affected starting today. The equity markets are expected to rally today as investors grow more confident and rejoiced about reforms. Rupee may gain further against dollar and bullion and crude oil would gain.
As the Parliament convenes the winter session in November, the stock markets are going to see unprecedented turbulence in the medium term. Debates in the Parliament and official statements would swing the markets and keep investors on their toes. FII inflows and rupee dollar relations would be severely tested in both sides. This would also bring forth volatility in commodity markets, especially in bullion.
In the short-term too, the turbulence would continue as political dramas would take the centre-stage.
As political parties come out with announcements, the markets are expected to swing in either directions. The government may even see threat to its stability even as it may turn out to be an empty threat given the fact that no allies would want the government to vacate the place and create an election scenario that may be beneficial to the principal opposition party, the Bharatiya Janatha Party.
“The government could run into trouble as the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011, and the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2008, which have been pending in the Rajya Sabha, could face a stiff opposition in Parliament.” noted The Hindu.
The government is not having enough numerical strength in Rajya Sabha to get the Bills passed. But as the Finance Minister noted, the Bills have been passed before in the House even when the government was a minority.
List of reforms provide for an interesting read.
Foreign equity investment has been hiked to 49% in insurance companies which will see the sector, especially the private sector gather much needed capital. The new decision will not apply to LIC or Life Insurance Corporation of India and five other general insurance companies.
“The benefit of this amendment will go to the private sector insurance companies which require huge amounts of capital and that capital will be facilitated with the increase in FDI to 49 per cent,” India’s Finance Minister Chidambaram told reporters.
The companies may still tap the markets when they need capital but should be maintaining 51% majority stake by government at any given point in time.
Amendments to the pension bill and foreign investment in the sector have also been cleared. Companies Bill has also been approved.
The Union Cabinet also approved the proposal to move official amendments to the Forwards Contracts (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2010 (the Bill, 2010), based upon the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
After the Bill is passed and enacted by Parliament, Forward Market Commission (FMC) as a regulator will get autonomy and power to regulate the market effectively. New products like 'options' will be allowed in the commodity market.
This will benefit various stakeholders including farmers to take benefit of 'price discovery and 'price risk management'. The Bill would enhance public accountability of the Regulator by providing for an Appellate Authority.
The recommendations of the Committee with regard to definition of the "Commodity Derivative" in Clause 3, establishment and constitution of Forward Markets Commission in Clause 4, term of office of the Chairman and every other whole time members in Clause 5, accounts and audit in Clause 9, penalties for contravention of certain provisions of Chapter IV in Clause 25 of the Bill, 2010 have been accepted and are proposed to be incorporated as official amendments.
The amendment in Clause 25 will require consequential amendment in Clause 26, which is also proposed to be included in the official amendments.
