[Intl-tobacco] Italy: ETI, privatisation in sight

[Robert Weissman]

ETI, privatisation in sight (Eti, privatizzazione al traguardo)
Source: Hoover's, Friday, 5/18/01
Source: Il Sole 24 Ore, May 08, 2001, Page 31

The go ahead for the privatisation of Italian state tobacco company ETI
may be given this week, according to financial sources in Italy. The
Italian treasury, which at present controls 100 per cent of ETI, has been
working for some time on the project, and treasury minister Vincenzo Visco
has decided to speed up the operation in view of the imminent election.

The Italian government has raised some L160,000bn from privatisations over
the course of its period in office. Still awaited are the sale of the
second tranche of shares in Italian electricity giant Enel, the remaining
3.46 per cent stake held in Italian telecoms operator Telecom Italia and
the remaining shares in Italian oil and gas group Eni.