ECONOMY MINISTRY ANNOUNCES NEXT STEPS IN PRIVATISATION OF HT, HEP

ZAGREB, Jan 4 (Hina) - A public tender for a 21 percent share interest in Croatian Telecom (HT) could begin in May, Deputy Economy Minister Maja Brinar said on Thursday. She added the government's task force in charge of the privatisation of public companies, which she presides, should convene tomorrow to discuss seven offers received for the selection of a consultant in the privatisation of state power company HEP. Early next week, the task force will meet representatives of the Schreder Salomon Barney investment bank, the consultant and global manager in the privatisation of HT, said Brinar. The government will then start drafting a decision on offering 21 percent of HT shares, depending on the situation in the telecommunications sector and on world stock exchanges. Brinar said Deutsche Telekom was important for the privatisation of HT, and that a possible cancellation of a contract with the German company could have an adverse effect on the prices of HT shares. Offers for privatisation consultants for HEP have arrived from renowned auditors Price Waterhouse, Arthur Anderssen and Deloitte Touche, power industry experts IPA, ESM and McDonalds, and financial institutions such as ABN Amro, BNP and Commerzebank. HEP should be ready for privatisation by the end of the year, said Brinar, adding a bill to that end could be in parliament in June. (hina) ha