Ministry approves zl.958 million for three PKP spin-offs

Transportation Minister Jerzy Widzyk has approved plans for Polish State Railways (PKP) to hand over zl.958 million in cash and kind to three of its newly-created affiliates. According to ministry spokesperson Izabella Lys-Gorzkowska, Polskie Linie Kolejowe, the company that owns the majority of Poland's railway infrastructure, including the track, will receive property estimated to be worth zl.369 million; Telekomunikacja Kolejowa, the owner of telephone exchanges and data transmission systems, will obtain property of zl.148 million; and PKP Energetyka, the company responsible for energy transmission, will get zl.441 million. Lys-Gorzkowska went on to explain that the three companies can expect to receive additional assets at a later date. Under the Transportation Ministry plan for the complete restructuring of PKP, the three companies were among a number of spin-offs launched by the national rail carrier at the end of June. The three are expected to begin independent operations by the end of October. (Puls Biznesu, p. 6) M.T.