Plans for valuation of Serbia’s EPS spark privatisation rumours
, NewsSerbia’s national power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) has hired Energoprojekt Entel, a member of Serbian engineering giant Energoprojekt Holding Group, and the Economics Institute, a scientific research and advisory organisation, to estimate the value of the company’s property, Beta news agency reported on August 15.
The purpose of the estimate has not been announced, but Belgrade media speculate that the move is a first step toward EPS’s privatisation.
EPS is one of three state-owned giants, along with gas monopoly Srbijagas and Serbian Railways, whose reform process has been strongly criticised by international financial institutions, primarily by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The main obstacles for reforming EPS are the large number of workers at the company, and high salaries, which were increased rather than cut in 2015.
However, Tanjug reported on July 28, quoting unnamed sources at the ministry of economy, that the government has no intention at this moment to sell EPS off.
Beta said it had learned from the company that valuation is due to be carried out within eight months, and will cost RSD34mn (€276,422).
The EU has asked Serbian public enterprises to define the value of their property by early 2017, as well as the ownership of immovable property and land for which the public enterprises have the right of use, while the owner is the state.
Daily Blic reported on July 28 quoting an unnamed source within the government, that by the end of 2016, Serbia should prepare a new draft law on privatisation, which should define the terms of sale of strategic resources and cover electrical industry, water resource management and telecommunications, which should be singled out in the process of privatisation.
EPS is among the largest employers in Serbia as about 36,000 people work there.
Source; bne intellinew
LATEST NEWS
- May 11, 2023 Mining Industry, Science and Communications, bridging the gaps
- May 11, 2023 Communicating Energy, new tech industries communications
- May 9, 2023 Serbia economy briefing: Transformation of “Elektroprivreda Srbija”
- April 24, 2023 Without sustainable mining, there is no renewable future
- March 25, 2023 Europe revives mining to reduce dependence on the import of key raw materials, the advantages of Serbia as materials supplier
- March 8, 2023 Calcium Carbonate Industry, Reshaping the Market Growth, Serbian supplier to match European industrial demand
- February 28, 2023 Serbian exploitation miner Belkalhan could become EU primary supplier of Graphite critical raw material
- February 28, 2023 Calcite/calcium carbonate premium quality supplier from Serbia opening supply contracts for 24,25, pharmaceutical/chemical/food processing industry opportunity for JV
- February 16, 2023 Serbian Belkalhan calcite & graphite mining developer invites JV partners for joint critical raw materials exploitation
- February 15, 2023 Petroprocess to modernize EPS power plant CEMS system with state of the art equipment
- June 4, 2023 Serbia, Is gold laying under the dust?
- June 4, 2023 Air Serbia’s popularity and traffic are increasing
- June 4, 2023 Is gold fever taking over in Serbia?
