Interest mounting despite uncertainty over STOEN sale

Foreign investors are lining up to bid for a stake in Warsaw power supplier STOEN, even though the new Treasury Minister has not yet decided whether to go ahead with the privatization. Prawo i Gospodarka reports that more than ten information memoranda on the privatization have been bought by potential buyers. Among those believed to be considering an offer are two German companies, RWE and E.ON. According RWE spokesman Marek Palonka, "The decision has been definitely made to place an offer." As for E.ON, Europe's biggest private power concern, company representative Krzysztof Ciszak said that no decision has yet been made. Another interested party is Electrabel of Belgium. According to a source at the Electrabel office in Katowice quoted by Prawo i Gospodarka, they will make a decision soon. It has also been learned unofficially that Vattenfall of Sweden and EDF of France are considering taking part in negotiations. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 4) P.W.