Options and plans for privatizing Weglokoks to be completed by early June

A plan for privatizing the largest coal exporter Weglokoks, as well as conce pts for it to participate in a new mining restructuring program are supposed to be ready by June 7. The Economy Ministry is hoping that the 100% state-ow ned Weglokoks will actively participate in the proposed changes. Using exist ing coal companies as a base, the Economy Ministry has decided to create two coal concerns, one energy concern and one coal-coke producing concern. In co nnection with the mining industry restructuring plan, the ministry is consid ering two options for restructuring the ownership of Weglokoks. The first op tion first envisages privatizing the exporter, possibly through the Warsaw S tock Exchange (WSE), before it finally joins the planned coal concern. The s econd option is that Weglokoks would join the concern, with privatization fo llowing at a later date. By June 7 a consulting company, BRE Corporate Finan ce, is expected to have prepared a scenario report. The decision of privatiz ing the exporter will be made by the Economy Ministry after consulting the T reasury Ministry. Last year Weglokoks exported 22.1 million tones of coal. (Puls Biznesu, p. 5) M.T.K.