Foreign shareholders call for change in Polkomtel
According to unofficial sources, foreign shareholders of Polkomtel, the
operator of the mobile Plus GSM network, are demanding changes in the
ownership structure of the company. The Polish shareholders, KGHM, PKN Orlen
and Polish Power Grid (PSE), which together hold just over 55% of shares,
received a letter from Vodafone and TDC inquiring about the future plans of
the operator. One of the possibilities anticipated by analysts is the sale
of a stake owned by PKN Orlen, as investors in the oil giant want it to
concentrate on its core oil business. If PKN Orlen is to keep its stake, it
would only be for short term monetary reasons, such as to receive its
dividend payout. Last year, Polkomtel made a net profit of zl. 591 million.
In the first six months of 2002 the company noted almost zl. 290 million in
net profit. (Puls Biznesu, p. 3) A.K.
