Government spokesman Libor Roucek said yesterday that the Cabinet could decide on a new privatization advisor tender for Unipetrol today. The previous Unipetrol advisory tender was canceled some weeks ago due to legal uncertainties, and last week the domestic press reported that Cabinet had chosen HSBC as the privatization advisor without a tender. Moreover, the finance minister, Jiri Rusnok, also said that there is a possibility of the government using an “assistant” advisor, who would play a limited role in the privatization process. The mixed signals from government officials will certainly not help the stock, though a significant reaction is unlikely unless a delay in privatization delay looks imminent.
(Jiří Soustružník)