Third time lucky for publisher WSiP privatization bid?

The Treasury Ministry has announced that eight companies have submitted preliminary purchase offers for at least a 10% stake in the largest pu blisher of educational books Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne (WSiP). The offers will be analyzed by August 2. Although earlier, WSiP's privatization aroused the interests of Agora S.A., Muza S.A. and MAC Edukacja, none of them confirmed their participation in the latest tender. As reported by the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Wydawnictwo M. Rozak, which participated in the previous WSiP's tenders has also backed out from this one. WSiP is a tidbit for investors from the publishing market. Last year it earned net zl. 17 million and in 2000 zl. 22 million. The company is pining its hopes on a new owner, hoping that privatization will result in more effective management, as well as new investments. "We would like to succeed in new areas of the market. We are interested in the entire educational books market, as well as publications for the adult reader. We are seriously considering the idea of participating in the consolidation of the distribution market," says WSiP president Jan Ruranski. The previous two attempts to privatize WSiP came to nothing. In 2000 the tender was cancelled with no reason given, whereas in the second one, the consortium of Polskie Towarzystwo Edukacyjne and Nasza Ksiegarnia failed to pay the zl. 334.5 million which they promised. (Gazeta Wyborcza, July 6-7, p. 26) A.Z.