Ireland's Electricity Supply Board may enter G-8 bidding

Jan Kulczyk, one of Poland's most prominent businessmen, has invited Ireland 's Electricity Supply Board (ESB) to join him and Elektrim in bidding for th e G-8 group of power distributors. Despite being granted exclusive negotiati ng rights, Elektrim has failed to close a deal with the Treasury on buying a stake in G-8. It now looks as if the Treasury will resume negotiations with all four bidders who originally placed binding offers, namely the Elektrim-K ulczyk grouping, Electrabel, E.ON and Iberdrola. The ESB was initially inter ested in G-8, but it did not submit a binding offer because its owner, the I rish government, was unhappy about its lack of commitment to the domestic ma rket. Following the company's announcement of a major investment program in Ireland, the government is soon expected to give it the go-ahead for a G-8 b id. The ESB's only way in to the G-8 privatization would appear to be throug h a deal with Kulczyk. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p. 3) T.J.