The Iranian government has authorized listing of its indirect stake at the country’s third largest carmaker Pars Khodro.
Head of the Iranian Privatization Organization Hossein Ghorbanzadeh said on Wednesday that the body had issued a permit for divestment of government shares in Pars Khodro, a company where the government holds a stake through Saipa, Iran’s second largest carmaker.
Ghorbanzadeh said the permit was issued at the request of Iran’s ministry if industries, adding that the managing board of Saipa will decide on the divestment mechanism for Pars Khodro.
The divestment is in line with a government privatization scheme in Iran which is aimed at increasing the participation of the public in the ownership of state corporations and creating new sources of funding for key infrastructure projects.
The government has sold some of its shares in large oil and gas companies as well as in banks. It has also plans to sell shares in Saipa and largest carmaker Iran Khodro.
Founded in 1956, Pars Khodro is the third largest automobile manufacturer in Iran in terms of output. The company has no model or platform of its own and mostly assembles foreign and domestic models.