TAIPED

State sell-off fund TAIPED has proceeded to the second stage of the tender for the concession of the Chios marina, the second such tender after that for Alimos marina.

Greece on Wednesday prequalified seven investment groups to take part in the second phase of a tender for the administration of the Egnatia Odos highway, privatization agency TAIPED said.

State sell-off fund TAIPED is preparing to announce a tender in the next few months for the utilization of the property of the former US military base near Iraklio on Crete.

The asset to be conceded - with the option to open a casino too - covers 350,000 square meters, is located by the sea and is considered ideal for the development of a tourism accommodation complex.

The Greek state has taken the best part of two decades to make better use of one of its most important real estate assets, having included it in a portfolio of 28 properties for sale in a 2014 tender. This year the former Keranis cigarette factory in Piraeus will finally get some more tenants after a long period of failed efforts.

Greece on Wednesday launched an international tender to sell a majority stake in Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) as part of its third international bailout.

Greece's privatization agency TAIPED said it will sell no less than 50.1 percent in the country's biggest oil refiner and interested investors must submit expressions of interest by May 18.

The strategic interest of Italian gas infrastructure company Snam in the Greek gas network was confirmed on Monday with the opening of the improved financial offers for the acquisition of 66 percent of gas grid operator DESFA.

The next couple of weeks will be decisive for the successful completion of the 20-year extension of the Athens International Airport concession contract, as consultations with the European Union's competition authorities have entered a critical stage, sources from the government and the parties involved have told Kathimerini.

The tug-of-war over the future of railway carriage maintenance company Rosco continues between state sell-off fund TAIPED and the Italian-owned railway service firm Trainose.

The submission of the improved binding bid for Rosco, scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed for another couple of weeks, to April 26, highlighting the difficulty of the project.

State sell-off fund TAIPED, in cooperation with Hellenic Petroleum, is expected on Friday to open the new and improved binding offers for a 66 percent stake in gas grid operator DESFA.

Hellenic Petroleum chairman Efstathios Tsotsoros will also assume the duties of chief executive officer next week, replacing Grigoris Stergioulis when the new governing board convenes, although the stakeholders' agreement between state sell-off fund TAIPED and the Latsis Group's Paneuropean Oil and Industrial Holdings on Tuesday foresaw board changes coming 10 working days after the signing of