Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Greece has appointed Riccardo Lambiris as the new chief executive of its privatization agency, which is trying to sell assets to comply with the terms of the country's bailouts.

The first conflict since the privatization last year of Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) has emerged between the Greek state and Chinese group Cosco, the owner of 51 percent of the Athens-listed company.

Greece expects potential investors will offer at least 400 million euros for a majority stake in its gas grid operator DESFA, Energy Minister George Stathakis said in an interview with Naftemporiki newspaper.

Greece's privatisation agency TAIPED has appointed executive director Lila Tsitsogiannopoulou as its new chair, it said on Friday.

Tsitsogiannopoulou will take over from Chief Executive Antonios Leousis, who has been heading the fund's three-member board for an interim six-month period.

State sell-off fund TAIPED has launched the process for selecting consultants for some of its troubled privatization projects, though the question remains over whether they will advance any further.

This Friday is the deadline for bids for a majority package in Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH), but it appears that if the offers of the two suitors are too close to one another there may be an extension up to May 10.

Greece's privatization agency, TAIPED, said on Wednesday it was seeking a financial adviser for the sale of minority stakes in two water utilities.

Under its international bailout agreement, Greece must sell an 11 percent stake in Athens Water Supply & Sewerage SA (EYDAP) and a 23 percent stake in Thessaloniki Water Supply & Sewerage SA (EYATH).

[Reuters]

Greece opened expressions of interest on Friday for hiring consultants on utilizing the state shares in seven major companies, including utility Public Power Corporation and Athens International Airport.

A 7.9 billion euro plan to turn a derelict former Athens airport into one of Europe's biggest coastal resorts, included in Greece's latest international bailout, will go ahead despite recent delays, a senior privatization agency official said on Saturday.

State sell-off fund TAIPED on Tuesday extended the deadline for the submission of binding bids for carriage maintenance company Rosco until the end of June.

Submission was supposed to have been completed by January 31, but the delay in the privatization of the main railway service company, Trainose, forced the extension of the deadline to June 30.