Treasury Ministry announces 2008 privatization plans

It wants to sell minority stakes in 94 companies in 2008, including several major IPOs. The biggest IPO will be Polska Grupa Energetyczna, originally slated for a flotation late this year. Other state-owned companies due to be listed on the WSE next year are Huta Łabędy, the last steel company owned by the state; Bolesław SA, a mining company; and ZA Tarnów, the chemicals group. Enea, the power distributor, will launch a new issue in 2008. This year's proceeds from privatization will be around zł.2.1 billion, compared to the forecast zł.3 billion. In 2006 they were just zł.622 million out of the expected zł.3 billion. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 29) R.M.