Govt approval for CEO's salary not called for: Khurshid

Companies will no more be required to seek approval of the government for raising the salaries of CEOs and directors once the new company law comes into effect, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said today.

Companies will no more be required to seek approval of the government for raising the salaries of CEOs and directors once the new company law comes into effect, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has said.

HT Image

"Essentially, we are shifting from control to regulation, that's the basic theme (of the proposed Company Bill)...for
CEO's salary coming to us for approval is not something in the regulatory procedure is called for," he told PTI.

Under the present Act, companies have to take approval of the government before raising salaries of directors.

"Let the shareholders decide, how much they want to pay someone but there must be disclosure, to us, to the
shareholder, to the public at large," he added.

Commenting on the move, Diljeet Titus, senior partner with law firm Titus and Co, said: "Such archaic provisions (in
Companies Act, 1956) are not in conformity with the liberalised market environment. However, some checks and balances must be put in place to prevent CEOs from extracting disproportionate compensation packages for themselves."

The G-20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors at London recently discussed the issue of high salary and bonuses being paid by the banks and it may come up again at the Pittsburgh summit this week.