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Listed defaulters may be named 


High-Level Panel On Financial Markets Feels Naming Erring Cos Will Improve Transparency 

A COMMITTEE comprising senior government officials and financial regulators has proposed mandatory disclosure of loan defaults by listed companies, a move aimed at protecting shareholders interest and boosting investor confidence. The proposal was discussed at the May 24 meeting of the High-Level Coordination Committee on Financial Markets, said a senior finance ministry official. Market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) will examine the practical aspects of the proposal.
Sebi may consider making changes in the listing norms so that whenever a company defaults on any payment obligation it would trigger a public announcement, the official said, requesting anonymity.
The meeting of the coordination committee was chaired by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor D Subbarao. Finance secretary Ashok Chawla, department of financial services secretary R Gopalan, chief economic advisor Kaushik Basu,Sebi chairman CB Bhave, Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA) chairman J Hari Narayan and senior officials of the Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority (PFRDA ) attended the meeting.
At present, information on loan defaults is available only to the lenders, RBI and credit information companies such as CIBIL. As per the current practice, banks disclose a list of defaulters to RBI on a quarterly basis. A copy of this report is forwarded to Sebi and CIBIL.
Globally, there were a number of corporate loan defaults in 2009,after some of the worlds largest economies were hit by the worst financial crisis since 1930s.India also felt the tremors of the crisis, leading to a few high-profile default cases.

Economic Times, New Delhi, 14-06-2010.

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