Greece says 2018 privatisations target 'high but feasible'

Thessaloniki Water Supply and Sewarage SA

30/03/2018 15:44

ATHENS, March 30 (Reuters) - Greece's target of 2 billion
euros in privatisation revenues this year is high but can be
met, the chairman of the country's privatisations agency said on
Friday.
    Greece's third bailout ends in August and it has agreed with
its international lenders to raise 3 billion euros ($3.7
billion) by 2019 from state asset sales.
    "Undoubtedly it's a very high target. It's a challenge, I
would say, for the agency," Aris Xenofos told Greece's Alpha 989
radio, according to a transcript of the interview. "But I think
it's a feasible target." 
    While privatisations have been a pillar of Greece's bailouts
since 2010, they have raised proceeds of just 5 billion euros,
rather than a targeted 50 billion euros, mainly due to the
crisis, political and union resistance and bureaucracy.
    By June, Greece needs to conclude the lease of a vast
seaside property, the sale of gas grid DESFA and launch the sale
or the securitisation of a stake in electricity utility Public
Power Corp. (PPC)  DEHr.AT . It will later sell minority stakes
in water utilities EYDAP  EYDr.AT  and EYATH.  TWSr.AT 

 (Reporting by Karolina Tagaris
Editing by Gareth Jones)
 ((karolina.tagaris@thomsonreuters.com; +30 210 3376 455;))