Treasury has high hopes for 2001 energy sector sales

The Treasury Ministry is expecting to unload 26 energy sector companies this year, estimating revenues from the sales to reach some zl.5 billion. Half of the firms the treasury plans to put on the block belong to Poland's lucrative energy distribution sector. Investors have already been invited to take part in a tender for the privatization of the so-called G-8 group, distributors located in Gdansk, Plock, Torun, Slupsk, Olsztyn, Koszalin Elblag and Kalisz, with the transaction set to be finalized before Nov. 2001. In May of this year, the treasury would also like to set the wheels in motion for the sale of Warsaw-based utility Stoen and the G-4 group, distributors in Zamosc, Lublin, Rzeszow, Kielce and Radom. Analysts say this group may be particularly attractive to investors since it has access to cheap energy from Poland's eastern neighbor, Ukraine. Apart from energy distributors, the treasury says it will also seek to privatize several power plants. While the sale of four plants has been planned for next year, a deal should be clinched before Nov. 2001. According to Deputy Treasury Minister Jakub Tropilo, it is possible that the three located in Kozienice, Dolna Odra and Ostroleka would be sold to one investor, while the one in Stalowa Wola would be joined to Poludniowy Koncern Energetyczny. The last power plant scheduled to be sold by the state is Belchatow. (Puls Biznesu, p.6) J.K.