Finance Minister to push for easier investment norms for NMP assets

Sitharaman to chair Financial Stability and Development Council meet to harmonise regulations across sectors

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will soon chair a meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) to nudge financial regulators to relax and harmonise investment norms for instruments like Infrastructure Investment trusts (InvITs) to be used to monetise public assets like highways, gas pipelines and railway tracks. The meeting of the Council entrusted with enhancing co-ordination among financial sector regulators — RBI, SEBI, IRDA and PFRDA — assumes significance after the (NMP) listing assets across sectors that are to be monetised for an estimated ₹5.96 lakh crore over four years. With the economy still not out of the woods from the COVID-19 pandemic and Ms. Sitharaman urging industry to look beyond banks and tap the markets for their financing needs, steps to ease access and encourage investments in the corporate bond market are also expected to be discussed by the FSDC.