Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

Greece's privatization agency (HRADF) on Thursday called on the two consortia that submitted binding bids for the acquisition of a 66 percent stake in the country's gas grid operator DESFA to improve their offers.

This means the preferred investor will be determined in a new round of bidding.

Greece concluded the sale of 67 percent stake in Thessaloniki port, the country's second-largest, to a German-led consortium, its privatizations agency said on Friday.

Greece has received one bid for its railway maintenance company Rosco, the country's privatization agency TAIPED said on Tuesday.

Greek railway service operator Trainose, which was taken over by Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane last year, submitted the only binding offer.

Within a period of just 14 months, the government is accused of making 424 hirings that have more than doubled the number of staff at state-owned railway carriage maintenance firm Rosco, which is about to be privatized.

The Greek state is reclaiming its majority stakes in the Athens and Thessaloniki water companies, as the government has revoked the decision by the ministerial committee for privatizations handing its shares to sell-off fund TAIPED.

Cosco-controlled Piraeus Port Authority SA (OLP) has accused the state's Public Authority of Piraeus Port (DALP) of a "systematic effort to dispute the privatization of OLP and its operation in the context of the law on private enterprises," effectively speaking of state intervention.

 Greece's privatisations agency HRADF said on Tuesday it launched an international tender to sell a 5.0 percent stake in OTE Telecom, corresponding to 24.5 million shares.

"The tender process will be conducted in one phase and interested investors are requested to submit their binding offers ... no later than 15 March 2018," HRADF said.

The business plan of state sell-off fund TAIPED, as approved by the inner cabinet, provides for the sale of the state's energy holdings in Public Power Corporation, Hellenic Petroleum and Public Gas Corporation, along with the concession of minority stakes in the Athens and Thessaloniki water companies (EYDAP and EYATH).

The state is speeding up the process for the integrated use and upgrading of the key transport infrastructures in northern Greece, as sell-off fund TAIPED is aiming to quickly wrap up the privatization of Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH) by mid-March, as well as to enter the second stage of the tender for the Egnatia Odos highway and start the process for the concession of the port authoritie

The governing board of Thessaloniki Port Authority (OLTH) decided on Friday to call an extraordinary general meeting of the Athens-listed company's shareholders for January 25, following an order to that effect by main stakeholder TAIPED - the country's sell-off fund - which is striving to complete this privatization project.