The programme for the restructuring and privatisation of Bulgaria's tobacco monopoly Bulgartabac will be presented next week and then reviewed by the ruling coalition, Bulgartabac’s executive director Hristo Lachev announced.

Not working and some of the working plants that are parts of the holding will be offered for lump sale, but should there be no interest in them their assets will be sold, Lachev explained. The factories of Pazardzhik and Dupnitsa, as public companies, could be offered at the stock exchange, and the packaging plant Yuri Gagarin is expected to be sold by July, he added.The restructuring of Bulgartabac Holding is meant to increase the investors' interest in its privatisation, reports the Sofia news agency. The unsuccessful Bulgartabac privatisation was one of the reasons for Bulgaria's cabinet reshuffle in February 2005. The government blocked the sale in late January due to ‘unacceptable conditions’ proposed by BAT. BAT then withdrew its offer to buy three of Bulgartabac's 22 factories for Euro 200 million. (vt)