ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - In a statement to Hina on Friday, the head of the management board of "Slobodna Dalmacija" daily, Srdjan Kovacic, welcomed the government's decision to privatise the Split-based newspaper company, while the
daily's two workers unions warned that the decision might be an election move.
ZAGREB, Oct 17 (Hina) - In a statement to Hina on Friday, the head of
the management board of "Slobodna Dalmacija" daily, Srdjan
Kovacic, welcomed the government's decision to privatise the
Split-based newspaper company, while the daily's two workers
unions warned that the decision might be an election move. #L#
Kovacic believes that the privatisation model as proposed by the
government is "brilliant in theory".
According to the model, 25 percent of the daily's shares would be
allocated to "Slobodna Dalmacija" workers free of charge, five
percent of the state portfolio would be retained by the Croatian
Privatisation Fund, while part of the portfolio would be offered
for sale to workers and investors. The part of the portfolio which
will not be offered to small shareholders will be offered for sale
on condition the buyer provides additional funds for the
recapitalisation of the company amounting to at least 80 million
kuna.
The chief union commissioner of the daily's journalists' union,
Ljubica Vuko, welcomed the government's decision, but added there
was a possibility it was an electoral trick of the ruling
coalition.
She also believes that the privatisation model is "impractical and
unattractive" to investors because it requires major investments,
without envisaging considerable management rights.
The daily's independent journalists' union believes that the
government's decision is part of "a hypocritical election game
which is aimed at winning votes in Split and Dalmatia" and demands
that privatisation be implemented "exclusively according to market
principles".
(hina) rml sb