KYIV. Sept 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) hopes to receive UAH 20-30 billion thanks to ‘big’ privatization, SPF Head Ihor Bilous said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.
“Budget revenue from big privatization should be at least UAH 20-30 billion. This would be a compensation element of the tax reform,” he said.
Bilous said that along with the state-owned facilities planned for the privatization which were named earlier, Sumykhimprom and Zaporizhia Titanium and Magnesium Plant could also be put up for sale.
“Sumykhimprom and Zaporizhia Titanium and Magnesium Plant would be included in the privatization [list] if the government does not decide on uniting assets in the titanium sector,” he said.
He added that the issue of uniting the assets is being actively discussed.
Bilous said that this year, the fund will focus on its preparations for the ‘big’ privatization. The preparations include the attraction of advisors. He said that negotiations with the European Commission, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), USAID and International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the financing of these advisors have been completed.
He said that USAID is ready to provide $5-7 million as a result.
Along with the preparation of large facilities for privatization, the fund plans to sell smaller companies this year and receive around UAH 1 billion. This mainly concerns combined heat and power plants.
“There are buyers for all combined heat and power plants, despite the fact that these are last century facilities… Not one, but five or six investors,” Bilous said.
