Reuters informed on Tuesday evening (quoting Deputy Finance Minister T. Potmesil) that the government will not ease any of the privatization conditions (e.g., the obligatory purchase of coal from domestic producers, penalties for violation of the conditions) to get higher bids. Therefore, it is unlikely that the bids will exceed required minimum of CZK 200 bil., and the privatization is unlikely to be completed on January 7, 2002. Negative, but it was expected that the conditions would not be altered.
(Jiri Soustruznik)