The final stage of Gdansk Shipyard sale signed by the Treasury Minister

The decision completes the purchase transaction of Gdansk Shipyard and marks the beginning of the second largest shipyard holding in Poland after the Szczecin Shipyard. "We are beginning the process of creating a shipyard group which would employ 10,700 workers and would be able to construct 10-15 ships annually," said Janusz Szlanta, president of Gdynia Shipyard. Wojciech Sobecki, spokesman of the Szczecin Shipyard Holding said: "I suppose that in few years time ship construction in Poland will be divided between our companies [Szczecin and Gdynia Shipyards]." Szlanta agreed, adding that it would help the Polish shipyard industry to compete with international companies. Former Privatization Minister Janusz Lewandowski said: "This consolidation will put Poland among the ten largest ship builders." (Prawo i Gospodarka, pages 1, 3)