The privatisation of the two large gas suppliers in Romania, Distrigaz Sud and Distrigaz Nord, will be completed by March 31, 2004, three months after the initial deadline, just as it happened with SNP (National Oil Company) Petrom, according to Economy and Trade Ministry officials.
The new calendar for privatising gas suppliers resulted from talks between the Romanian authorities and international organisations, as it was the case with SNP Petrom.
“According to the schedule approved by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank last month, the final deadline for completing the privatisation of the gas distribution market was set for March 31, 2004,” Economy and Trade Ministry officials said.
The Romanian State hired this spring, as a privatisation consultant for the domestic gas suppliers, the consortium comprising Credit Suisse First Boston, Romanian-American Enterprise Fund and the law firm Miculiti & Asociatii SCPA Linklaters.
The “heavy” privatisations are very important, as the annual country report on Romania’s evolution in 2003 is to be released on November 5.
Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase presented, last week in Brussels, a plan of measures, mainly in the privatisation field, which is not eyeing the situation of the two gas suppliers, though.
For the time being, a report on the situation of the two companies is being drafted and could be submitted to the Economy and Trade Ministry by the end of this month or early next month, according to sources in the consortium.
Representatives of the State Participation and Industry Privatisation Office, the body coordinating the privatisation of the most significant companies on the Romanian market, had no comments by press time.
adrian.mirsanu@zf.ro