WSE to be privatized a year later than planned

The new deputy Treasury Minister Michał Chyczewski has announced that the Ministry intends to privatize the Warsaw Stock Exchange via an IPO in 2009, and not as earlier planned in 2008. "At the beginning of December we will make a decision on whether to continue cooperation with the consortium [comprised of companies advising on the privatization of the WSE] or start the tender and the whole procedure from scratch," said Chyczewski. Bourse authorities are not opposing the move with WSE President Ludwik Sobolewski saying "It seems that the year 2009 or 2010 is a good time for privatization. We shall be able to prepare for this and discuss the mode of selling the shares. We hope that by that time value of the WSE has increased again." Investors are hoping that further details will emerge following Chyczewski and Sobolewski's meeting this Wednesday. (Parkiet, pp. 1, 13; Rzeczpospolita, p. B6) M.M.