Coal India may consider price hike if unable to contain operational costs
Faced with the burden of an additional cash outflow of atleast Rs. 5,600 every year on account of wage revision, Coal India may eventually hike coal prices to maintain its profit margin. It may happen in case the Maharatna company is not able to curtail its operating costs.Although an immediate price hike isn't under consideration, senior company officials are of the view that first, they need to curtail operating short-term and mid-term costs like closure of loss making mines, offering voluntary retirement scheme to curtail direct employees and opt for mine mechanisation."Eventually, if these doesn't help to maintain margins and in case global coal prices starts going up to touch, say, $ 100 a tonne, we may have to opt for a price correction", a senior company official told Business Standard.After a prolonged sluggish period, coal prices are currently hovering around $ 91 a tonne.Wages and other employee benefit expenses account for 48 per cent of the total cost overhead of the...19-10-2017