Donbas ousted by LNM in bid for Częstochowa steel mill <BR>

The decision comes as a surprise, because the negotiation team, consisting of representatives of the steel mill, Treasury and Economy ministries, chose Donbas' offer, partly because of the better financial terms of its bid. Meanwhile, LNM's advantage was its ownership of Poland's largest steel mill conglomerate, Polskie Huty Stali (PHS). LNM's offer is reportedly worth zł.375 million. Donbas did not take its defeat lightly. "We shall analyze whether this decision means a breach of tender procedures," said its representative Konstanty Litvinov. (Puls Bizensu, p. 7) T.J.