Key privatization's on verge of falling into Sejm deputies hands

The Sejm Treasury Commission yesterday accepted a resolution, according to which Parliament would make the final decision about the privatization of some strategic companies, such as bank's PKO BP and BGŻ, insurer PZU, Polish Oil & Gas and copper miner KGHM. The draft resolutions blocking the privatization of these companies were submitted to the Commission in April, when opposition deputies were afraid that the Treasury Ministry, then headed by Zbigniew Kaniewski, would dispose of the national assets in an unfavorably way. Kaniewski resigned on May 2 along with Leszek Miller's government, but the project of the resolution remained. Although Jacek Socha, the new Treasury Minister tried to persuade the deputies that the country would not lose control over the companies, members of the Commission accepted the resolution, which will now be voted on in the Sejm. If it is accepted the privatization of many state owned companies is likely to become very complicated. (Parkiet, p. 9) A.F.