Agora waits for Treasury before announcing WSiP bid

Leading media concern Agora has vowed to try once again to acquire Poland's biggest educational book publisher Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne (WSiP), as the Treasury plans to announce a third attempt to privatize the company. Treasury Minister Wieslaw Kaczmarek has said he will probably decide to repeat the tender. But he did not disclose any details, although a decision is expected within days. "We are waiting for the Treasury Minister's decision," said WSiP spokesperson Dorota Oleksiak. Agora, which lost out in a previous attempt by the Treasury to privatize WSiP, has insisted it remains interested in the company. "We are still interested in taking part in the privatization of WSiP. We will wait for the Treasury Minister's decision before announcing our final proposals," said Agora executive Zbigniew Bak. According to Dawid Wilanowski, an analyst with BPH PBK, Agora has a good chance of acquiring WSiP, particularly as financing its bid should present no problem. (Puls Biznesu, p. 5) P.J.