* Sees no reason to extend bid deadline past Aug 14
* No bids filed yet
(Adds detail, quotes)
By Patryk Wasilewski
WARSAW, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The government is seeking a hefty
premium in a tender for two thirds of Poland's only listed
utility Enea <ENAE.WA>, Deputy Treasury Minister Jan Bury said.
The government wants to sell 67 percent of the utility,
worth 6.1 billion zlotys ($2.1 billion) at current market
prices, in the first major step of ambitious privatisation plans
to net 36.7 billion zlotys by 2010.
"We definitely want to get a better price than the current
market one. I am convinced that what we will get will be
significantly higher," Bury told Reuters in an interview late on
Thursday.
"We must remember we are selling a controlling stake and
thus an adequate premium is necessary. Morever, Enea is
developing and I expect this year's results to be much, much
better than the last."
Enea had a net profit of 215 million zlotys last year and
202 million in the first quarter this year.
Poland wants to plug its growing budget hole with
privatisation revenues but the sell-off proposals have spawned
political controversy.
Enea shares jumped as much as 5.7 percent to 21.75 during
the session.
Investors have until Aug. 14 to bid for the stake but some
of them have complained they need more time.
Bury said no bids had yet been filed but saw no reason to
extend the deadline as potential bidders were well aware of the
timetable.
Bury confirmed that Czech CEZ <>, France's GDF Suez
<GSZ.PA>, Sweden's Vattenfall [] and Germany's RWE
<RWEG.DE> had shown interest in the stake.
"Investors have plenty of time. The ones we mentioned were
interested in the sale from the beginning and knew when we would
be ready. There were no surprises here," Bury said.
Poland floated a 23.5 percent stake in Enea last year, with
Vattenfall acquiring 19 percent of the company for 1.7 billion
zlotys amid low interest from other investors.
MORE PRIVATISATION, CONTROVERSIES
Bury, who is responsible for the energy department at the
treasury on behalf of a privatisation-sceptical junior coalition
partner PSL, is responsible for two out of three major
privatisaitons by the ruling government.
The utilities overseen by him, together with a copper miner
KGHM <KGHM.WA>, are a cornerstone of the government's sell-off
plan.
The treasury wanted to sell up to 42 percent of KGHM next
year but the move is opposed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. []
Bury expects that this year Poland's largest utility PGE
will issue some 15 percent new shares worth 4-5 billion zlotys
and the next year Poland's second biggest energy producer Tauron
could be sold to an investor.
"I don't want to speculate on how much Tauron is worth, but
it is much larger and worth much more than Enea," Bury said.
The Tauron sale has been opposed by deputy premier Waldemar
Pawlak who believes it should remain under government control
because of its strategic importance.
