Privatization

Alternate Minister for Administrative Reform Christoforos Vernardakis announced government plans to introduce a new system for the evaluation and mobility of public servants, establish the National Register for managers and a selection system for supervisors based on merit and to reduce the administrative burden.

Romania has until the end of the year to change its privatisation law or face an investigation and possible impeachment by the European Commission, according to media reports.

The business publication Profit.ro has reported that the centre-left government of Prime Minister Victor Ponta has to change the law as it includes provision that could represent state aid.

No bidders have emerged to buy Tanjug, an iconic news agency dating back to the start of the Yugoslav Communist era, although media experts believe the outlet still has potential.

The Serbian government plans to sell 100 per cent of Tanjug's shares at an estimated worth of 760,936 euros.

Last week, Serbia's privatisation Agency said it had not received any official offers.

After privatization of the state-owned media in Serbia started last week, the opposition Democratic Party has accused the ruling Progressive Party of trying to buy up some media outlets, hiding behind "front" companies to do so.

Greece had a contingency plan to open corruption investigations into German companies so as to “raise the cost of rupture” for Greece’s creditors. The targeted companies included Siemens, Lidl and Allianz.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and World Bank Executive Director Joerg Frieden conferred on Tuesday about the WB's support to the process of privatization.

This concerns public enterprises listed in the Privatization Agency's portfolio.

Economy Minister Zeljko Sertic said on Tuesday there was interest in the privatization of Serbia's state-owned telecommunications company Telekom Srbija.

The list of bidders includes both companies and investment funds, he told B92.

Macedonia's Transport Ministry has issued a call to choose a consultancy firm tasked with coming up with the best privatization model for the national postal service, Makedonska Posta AD.

Serbia said the sale of 47 state-owned media outlets will be completed by October - although around 30 had not applied for sale after the deadline set by the government to do so had passed.

Shares in those media outlets that have not applied for sale but are not in negative financial state will be divided among the employees.

The Serbian government on Thursday adopted a decision on launching the initiative for privatization of the telecommunications company Telekom Srbija.

The government website said that the Ministry of Economy and the Privatization Agency have been tasked with implementing this decision.