(The Fleet Sheet –MFD/1) Škoda Plzeň’s financial situation is so bad that one board member said a bankruptcy petition should perhaps be filed against the company. Škoda has consolidated debt of Kč 20.5bn, but perhaps more significantly, it has fallen behind on payments for income tax, social security and health insurance. One expert said that once a company stops paying the state, it usually ends up in bankruptcy within a few months because the punitive interest is so high (36.5% p.a.). (EU/18) Euro argues that Škoda Plzeň is ripe for bankruptcy. Unless it gets state help, the magazine says, it might be split up and sold off. (HN/26) On a related note, Škoda Liaz called an EGM for Jan. 15 for cutting share capital by 75%, from Kč 1.9bn to Kč 479m.