Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program

The Estonian government has quickly privatized more than 90 percent of its industrial and manufacturing enterprises. The Estonian privatization agency batches 30-40 firms and advertises them for sale. The prime goal is to find "real owners&quo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Nellis, John
Format: Viewpoint
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1996/01/696805/finding-real-owners-lessons-estonias-privatization-program
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11640
id okr-10986-11640
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-116402021-06-14T11:04:40Z Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program Nellis, John AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS ASSETS AUCTION AUCTIONS BID BIDDERS BONDS CAPITAL MARKETS EMPLOYMENT FACE VALUE HOUSING INSIDER TRADING LIQUIDATION MARKET VALUE OFFERINGS PRIVATIZATION PURCHASE PRICE REORGANIZATION TELECOMMUNICATIONS TENDERING TRANSITION ECONOMIES VOUCHERS DENATIONALIZATION INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES PUBLIC ENTERPRISES INFRASTRUCTURE SMALL ENTERPRISES CAPITAL ASSETS COMPENSATION BONDS INSTALLMENT PAYMENT TRANSITION ECONOMIES VOUCHER EXCHANGE PUBLIC OFFERING The Estonian government has quickly privatized more than 90 percent of its industrial and manufacturing enterprises. The Estonian privatization agency batches 30-40 firms and advertises them for sale. The prime goal is to find "real owners" capable of running a durable, productive firm. Purchase offers are judged not only on price, but also on the quality of business plans submitted. In 17 sales, the Estonians have combined strategic investment with voucher exchanges. An unresolved problem is that the face value of the vouchers outstanding far exceeds the likely value of assets being sold. This Note concludes that Estonian privatization has been a success in scope and pace. No private firm has yet failed, and the privatization agency reports that most divested firms are expanding their employment. However, these promising results are tempered by the fact that the 70 privatized firms experiencing problems with installment purchase payments are only being admonished. But this problem, though significant, is not overwhelming. 2012-08-13T15:36:29Z 2012-08-13T15:36:29Z 1996-01 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1996/01/696805/finding-real-owners-lessons-estonias-privatization-program Viewpoint. -- Note no. 66 (January 1996) http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11640 English Viewpoint CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Viewpoint Publications & Research Europe and Central Asia Estonia
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
topic AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
ASSETS
AUCTION
AUCTIONS
BID
BIDDERS
BONDS
CAPITAL MARKETS
EMPLOYMENT
FACE VALUE
HOUSING
INSIDER TRADING
LIQUIDATION
MARKET VALUE
OFFERINGS
PRIVATIZATION
PURCHASE PRICE
REORGANIZATION
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TENDERING
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
VOUCHERS DENATIONALIZATION
INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
INFRASTRUCTURE
SMALL ENTERPRISES
CAPITAL ASSETS
COMPENSATION BONDS
INSTALLMENT PAYMENT
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
VOUCHER EXCHANGE
PUBLIC OFFERING
spellingShingle AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
ASSETS
AUCTION
AUCTIONS
BID
BIDDERS
BONDS
CAPITAL MARKETS
EMPLOYMENT
FACE VALUE
HOUSING
INSIDER TRADING
LIQUIDATION
MARKET VALUE
OFFERINGS
PRIVATIZATION
PURCHASE PRICE
REORGANIZATION
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
TENDERING
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
VOUCHERS DENATIONALIZATION
INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES
PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
INFRASTRUCTURE
SMALL ENTERPRISES
CAPITAL ASSETS
COMPENSATION BONDS
INSTALLMENT PAYMENT
TRANSITION ECONOMIES
VOUCHER EXCHANGE
PUBLIC OFFERING
Nellis, John
Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program
geographic_facet Europe and Central Asia
Estonia
relation Viewpoint
description The Estonian government has quickly privatized more than 90 percent of its industrial and manufacturing enterprises. The Estonian privatization agency batches 30-40 firms and advertises them for sale. The prime goal is to find "real owners" capable of running a durable, productive firm. Purchase offers are judged not only on price, but also on the quality of business plans submitted. In 17 sales, the Estonians have combined strategic investment with voucher exchanges. An unresolved problem is that the face value of the vouchers outstanding far exceeds the likely value of assets being sold. This Note concludes that Estonian privatization has been a success in scope and pace. No private firm has yet failed, and the privatization agency reports that most divested firms are expanding their employment. However, these promising results are tempered by the fact that the 70 privatized firms experiencing problems with installment purchase payments are only being admonished. But this problem, though significant, is not overwhelming.
format Publications & Research :: Viewpoint
author Nellis, John
author_facet Nellis, John
author_sort Nellis, John
title Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program
title_short Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program
title_full Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program
title_fullStr Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program
title_full_unstemmed Finding Real Owners : Lessons from Estonia's Privatization Program
title_sort finding real owners : lessons from estonia's privatization program
publisher World Bank, Washington, DC
publishDate 2012
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1996/01/696805/finding-real-owners-lessons-estonias-privatization-program
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/11640
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