烟草在线据路透社报道编译    日本政府5月18日表示，已要求投资银行5月30日提交申请，出售所持的日本烟草公司股份，这样便可筹集多达4260亿日元（约合54亿美元）的灾后重建资金。

    财政部表示，该次股权出售应该在下个月完成，这标志着等待已久的股票发行今年将可能实现。

    日本国会去年通过一项法案，允许财政部出售持有的166万股日本烟草公司股份，将原本持有的该公司50%的股份削减至1/3，以筹集资金用于遭海啸袭击的东北沿岸地区的灾后重建。

    日本烟草4月表示，如果政府在本财政年度至明年3月继续出售股权，它将回购大约2500亿日元的已发行股份。

    根据5月18日的收盘情况，这将使财政部出售日本烟草公司股份的规模达到大约4260亿日元，这将成为今年日本最大规模的股份出售之一。

    日本烟草公司股票5月18日收于407500日元，下降1.7％。

   （1美元=79.5400日元）

Japan Seeks Bankers to Manage $5.4 Bln Japan Tobacco Sale

Reuters

    May 18 (Reuters) - The Japanese government said on Friday it has asked investment banks to submit by May 30 their applications for the sale of shares in Japan Tobacco that could raise as much as 426 billion yen ($5.4 billion).

    The Ministry of Finance said it should complete the selection by next month, a sign that the long-waited stock offering will likely take place this year.

    Japan's parliament last year passed the bill which would allow the Ministry of Finance to sell 1.66 million shares in Japan Tobacco, cutting its stake to one-third from half to help raise cash for rebuilding the tsunami-ravaged northeast coast.

    Japan Tobacco said last month that it would buy back about 250 billion yen of its outstanding shares if the government proceeds with a share sale during the current financial year to next March.

    That would make the size of the share sale of Japan Tobacco by the ministry around 426 billion yen based on Friday's close, making it one of the largest stock offerings in Japan this year.

    Japan Tobacco shares closed at 407,500 yen on Friday, down 1.7 percent.

    ($1 = 79.5400 Japanese yen)