THE British government has sold off its remaining shareholding in Northern Ireland Electricity as part of a general sale of its stakes in the various British electricity companies.

A total of 1.93 million shares, equivalent to 1.4 per cent of NIE equity, was sold to Dresdner Kleinwort Benson after a competitive auction organised by Rothschild. In total, the disposal of the various electricity shareholdings raised £257 million sterling for the British treasury.