Lublin cigarette factory struggling with taxes and to find a new investor

ZT Lublin cigarettes producer is again searching for an investor. By the end of May the company's privatization advisor should update all the company's analyses assessment. According to Marek Maj, the head of ZT Lublin, one company has already expressed interest in the deal. However, no further details have been revealed. According to specialists, the company may yet have difficulty finding an investor in face of growing illegal imports of cigarettes and slackening sales. Moreover, the sector is now feeling the impact of the excise duty regulations contributing to the sharp increase in the price of cheaper brands, which the company specializes in. "We are not in despair. We closed another year with positive results and the firm sustained its liquidity," Maj said. ZT Lublin's 2002 net profit was zł. 570,000 on revenues of zł. 185 million. (Puls Biznesu, p. 9) J.K.