Elliniko is key to program of privatizations
State sell-off fund TAIPED’s privatizations program will restart after the festive season with the projects of the country’s major ports and the Egnatia Odos highway, which crosses northern Greece.
The aim for 2014, TAIPED officials say, is to start all the privatization procedures for state corporation assets and those concerning infrastructure. It currently appears impossible that all 26 ongoing or prepared projects will be completed within 2014, but the fund’s intention is to end most of them by the end of next year.
However, the project that will largely determine the success of the overall program for 2014 will be the privatization of the former airport at Elliniko in southern Athens. This is not only mature, but it it is also the biggest project in terms of attracting foreign investment funds. Submission of binding offers is scheduled for the end of January and there appears to be strong interest.
Despite its original plans, TAIPED failed to launch the privatization projects for the port authorities of Piraeus (OLP) and Thessaloniki (OLTH) within 2013, even though fund officials had considered them mature since July. Other major projects such as Athens International Airport and Public Power Corporation were also postponed.
