Energy sector to consolidate with the creation of five energy distributors

The Treasury Ministry is standing by its earlier announcements that revenues from privatization will reach zl. 6 billion per annum over the next four to five years. This considerable amount will come from the sale of companies in the energy sector. Before that, the ministry is planning to consolidate power plants and energy distribution companies. At a seminar on the Polish energy sector, the Treasury Minister, Wieslaw Kaczmarek, presented his plans for the future of the sector. "Competition among 30 energy distributors is illogical. First they need to be consolidated," the minister said. The Treasury is planning to create five regional energy distributing groups from the current 32 distributors, which Kaczmarek hopes will be more attractive to potential investors. Stoen and companies from the G-8 group are to be excluded from these plans. (Gazeta Wyborcza, April 20-21, p. 24) A.Z.