Four large companies are allegedly interested in buying Romania's state – owned CFR Marfa – Railway Freight, which will be up for grabs in June, with a starting price of EUR 180 million. The Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced that four large companies are interested, but did not give their names. By the time Romania's new review in the International Monetary Fund's board begins, the privatization procedure should be finalized, the PM added.

Transport Minister Relu Fenechiu recently said that even after selling 51 percent in the company, the country would still be able to prevent that sale of the company as scrap metal, and the restrictions in the task book will prevent intermediaries from signing up in the privatization race. The procedure will have three stages, pre-qualification, negotiation based on preliminary offers and the bid with closed offers.

A winner should be announced mid-June, and this privatization is among the pledges Romania made to its main financier the IMF.

editor@romania-insider.com