The recovery of economic activity after the pandemic has not only increased State tax revenue, but also those from public or investee companies, which have improved their results in the last year and already contribute almost 2,400 million euros a year in dividends.
The presence of the State in companies is articulated through Sepi, Enaire or the Ministry of Finance itself. It owns 51% of the airport operator Aena, 20% of the electricity network manager Redeia, 5% of the gas company Enagás, 28% of the technology and defense group Indra, 2.3% of the airlines IAG, 10.3% of the food company Ebro Foods and 4.1% of the aircraft manufacturer Airbus.
For its shares in all these listed companies, it has obtained 572 million euros in dividends charged to the results of 2022, a part of which has been distributed in 2023. It is almost three times more than the 194 million euros entered last year. previous year, thanks to the strong recovery of Aena.
The Spanish airport operator suffered the blow of the pandemic with particular intensity, which paralyzed its activity and caused it losses of 600 million between 2020 and 2021. In 2022 the explosive recovery arrived, with a profit of 901 million and the decision to to distribute dividends again three years later. In the first half of this year it has earned 608 million, double that of a year before.
Among the other investees, the increase in the weight of Sepi stands out, up to 28%, in the capital of Indra, which went on to be more than five years without distributing dividends and which the Government has turned into the spearhead of its defense programs. Airbus has also recovered strongly, while Redeia, the former Red Eléctrica, and Enagás have always been a recurring source of income. IAG earned 430 million last year, but did not distribute dividends.
State shares in listed companies have a market value of more than 18,000 million euros. His part in Aena is worth 10,900 million and accumulates an increase of 18% since January, compared to 4,185 million of 4.1% in Airbus, which has increased in value by 13%. Another 1,595 million come from Redeia, which fell 10% on the stock market so far this year, compared to 662 million from Indra, which rose 24%. The shares in Ebro are worth 260 million, compared to 215 million in IAG and 205 million in Enagás.
The listed companies are the companies that shine the most in state participation, but the real manna is the Selae, that is, State Lotteries and Gambling. Attached to the Ministry of Finance, it entered 9,687 million euros in 2022, 3.5% more, and earned 1,993 million, 2.4% more, of which 1,794 million went to dividends for its sole shareholder.
Through primitives, lottery tickets, pools and Christmas participations, the Selae also managed to expand its network of establishments last year, up to 4,151. All these delegations, he explains in his annual report, are private.
Among the State dividends, those of the Tragsa company also stand out, which in just three years has become a true Swiss army knife for the administration. Dedicated to providing services ranging from forest conservation to the massive processing of ERTEs during the pandemic, the company entered 1,313 million last year. Before the pandemic, his income was around 800 million.
