Several key companies planning to enter the bourse in 2004

If the Treasury Minister Piotr Czyżewski manages to realize the privatizatio n strategy for 2004, it will to a great extent contribute to the revival of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE). According to an unofficial document drafted by Treasury Ministry, the shares of several key companies are planned to be listed next year on the bourse. In total, revenues from the privatization in 2004 have been estimated at zł. 8.83 billion of which zł. 7 billion will dir ectly prop up the state budget. According to the document, the most importan t privatization processes are slated for completion in 2006. If those plans are successfully carried out, "Poland will achieve a state ownership struct ure similar to that of the European Union, where the share of the state in t he economy is 10-20%". The Treasury Minister claims that next year's privati zation plan will come to fruition. "If such a possibility did not exist, we would not come up with such an idea but just reduce the envisaged amount" he said. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) A.Z.