Further privatization of major firms to yield zl 18 billion next year.

Treasury Minister Andrzej Chronowski announced yesterday that next year's income from privatization will amount to zl 18 billion. Of that sum zl. 11 billion is already earmarked to reinforce pension funds. One of the Treasury Ministry's other priorities is a further privatization of LOT Polish Airlines, bank Pekao S.A., Polish Insurance Company (PZU) and Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. TP S.A. "One of the main issues under debate is the privatization of the steel industry, which has already been delayed two years. "If a given company has a strategy supported by the firm's management board and the staff, I will not disturb it but immediately accelerate the privatization process," said Chronowski. He added that the Ministry also intends to solve the problems of Polska Zegluga Baltycka (PZB), whose financial condition is gradually declining. (Rzeczpospolita, p.B3