A large number of enterprises undergoing privatization will file for bankruptcy by July 1, or their employees will be granted shares, says Zeljko Sertic.
According to the Serbian economy minister, a total of 526 enterprises with about 92,000 employees remained to be privatized, and 50 enterprises alone have total debts of around EUR 4 billion, with the government claiming half of them.
A total of 189 firms have already gone into bankruptcy, 24 of which are water management enterprises that will be merged with the public enterprises Vojvodinavode and Srbijavode, 23 being veterinary stations that will be managed by local governments, and 72 media firms whose privatization will also will be completed by July 1.
The minister said that 12 tender processes for privatization of enterprises with a total of about 5,400 employees had been launched since the beginning of the year until May 1, and 33 more, of which 28 for enterprises in restructuring, will be launched by May 31.
Source; B92