The Russian Federation Government is willing to sell nearly 1,500 joint stock companies by 2016, including such giants as Rosneft and VTB. However, the selling schedule does not have any fixed dates yet: the White House will have to take the worsening financial markets conditions into account, RBC daily writes.

About 200 small and medium joint stock companies will be put up to auction by the fall of 2012; the sales are expected to yield about 300bn RUR to the budget, the Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov said at a government meeting recently.

The 2012-2016 privatization plan presupposes the government leaving such companies as VTB, Rosselkhozbank, Rosagroleasing, Sovkomflot, RusHydro, Inter RAO, and some others completely; in addition, the state’s stake in such companies as Russian Railways, FSK UES, and Transneft will be reduced to 75% plus one share, while the stake in OSK, OAK, and Uralvagonzavod Scientific & Production Corporation will be decreased to 50% plus one share.