Prime Minister Ion Chicu said the Public Property Agency assessed the state-owned enterprises and presented a list of those that will be put up for privatization. The list includes enterprises that have been proposed for privatization for a long time, but does not include Moldtelecom and Moldova’s Railways, as it was rumored, IPN reports.
Premier Chicu said the list does not include the power distribution networks and the hydropower station of Costești. “The enterprises we consider strategic are not on the list. This consists of enterprises whose activities do not match the domains of the state,” the official stated in the talk show “Direct Access” on NTV Moldova channel.
He explained that the moment is now not opportune for privatizing the telecoms carrier Moldtelecom. If such a moment comes, such a move will be considered.
Premier Chicu said the procedure for privatizing the scrap metal recycling company Metalferos should be transparent and based on auction. “It should be privatized, next year if not this year. This asset should not remain state property,” he stated, noting there are yet many other state-owned enterprises that need to be privatized. According to him, 700 million lei is to be earned this year from privatization.
In another development, Ion Chicu said he remains optimistic that Moldova will have a new program with the International Monetary Fund. “We must complete the current program. The IMF Executive Board meets on March 16 and we finalize the program on March 20. I think a mission that will assess the necessities for a new program will come in April,” he stated.
