COUPON PRIVATISATION STARTS ON MONDAY - PRIVATISATION MINISTER

( Editorial: --> 5536 ) ZAGREB, 19 Jan (Hina) - The distribution of coupons for persons who are entitled to participate in coupon privatisation starts on Monday, Croatian Privatisation Minister Milan Kovac told reporters today. Authorised participants in coupon privatisation will be able to use their coupons for buying shares of companies in the areas liberated in military operations 'Flash' and 'Storm'. "This summer, or in its second half, we could complete this process," said Assistant Privatisation Minister Damir Ostovic. Some 230,000 persons - Homeland War victims and former political prisoners - are participating in the process of coupon privatisation. According to the Privatisation Law, they have the right to free shares. A list and a catalogue with data on every company whose shares from the portfolio of the Croatian Privatisation Fund are intended for privatisation will soon be published, Minister Kovac said, adding the list currently included 485 companies. Those participating in coupon privatisation would also receive a booklet "How to Compete" with simple explanations on how to get shares with coupons. The holders of coupons can decide for themselves how to use the coupons - exchange them for shares of a company or entrust them to one of the seven privatisation and investment funds. Kovac warned of strict mechanisms of protection and control of the work of those funds. In the beginning, coupon privatisation will not include companies from the Croatian Danube River region, since those companies should first be assessed and that will take several months, Kovac said. (hina) mm rm 191526 MET jan 98