According to the Economy Ministry, 19 firms have expressed interest in buying a 49% stake on offer in crude oil pipeline firm Transpetrol. The firm is seen as one of the key energy companies to be partially privatised by the state in the next 12 months, along with gas giant SPP and power company Slovenské elektrárne.
Transpetrol also recorded a pre-tax profit of 239 million Slovak crowns ($4.78 million) during the first half of the year, up 80 million crowns on the result from the same period in 2000.
