TASK FORCE TO SUGGEST GOVT ANNUL SELLING HOTEL CHAIN TO SLOVENES

ZAGREB, Feb 4 (Hina) - A task force comprised of three ministers will propose to the government to revoke a decision to sell the Suncani Hvar hotel company to Slovenia's Terme Catez, a government source unofficially said on Tuesday. #L# It said an analysis of documents showed that the summary based on which the government decided to sell Suncani Hvar presented the offer submitted by Kompas as that of Terme Catez. The government's task force has concluded that the clarity and details of submitted offers are not such as to warrant the resumption of negotiations which would lead to the signing of a sales contract, the source said. It added the task force would suggest the government annul the decision to sell to Terme Catez. The government set up the task force comprising ministers Davorko Vidovic, Zeljko Pecek, and Radimir Cacic last week, binding them to consider the situation and propose a final solution in connection with the privatisation of the company on the southern island of Hvar. According to the source, when the government will decide about Suncani Hvar is still unknown. Prime Minister Ivica Racan said last night developments regarding the hotel chain should be analysed without political pressure, and that he was interested in "a fair way out of all this, not speed". As an element which needed analysing, Racan mentioned the Pleter privatisation-investment fund which wants about 20 percent of Suncani Hvar shares. This request urged the Commercial Court in Zagreb last Friday to ban trading with the company's stock. The Croatian Privatisation Fund said yesterday the ban prevented it from implementing the government's decision to sell and estimated the government would revoke it. A Croatian newspaper said today Terme Catez had allegedly abandoned the whole deal. This has not been confirmed. It is expected the leaders of the ruling coalition's five parties will discuss the privatisation of Suncani Hvar tomorrow. (hina) ha sb