BRATISLAVA, September 17, (SITA) – Regional water utility Podtatranska Vodarenska Spolocnost, a.s. (PVS) Poprad projects its end-year revenues at SKK 335.879 million. Of this its Poprad plant should contribute SKK 200.463 million, its Spisska Nova Ves plant with SKK 106.918 million and Stara Lubovna plant with SKK 28.498 million. The company plans profit at SKK 7.981 million, stated PVS director general Vladimir Pastorek. Of the three branches, just the Poprad plant should generate profit estimated at SKK 43.99 million.

The company plans to invest SKK 53.34 million this year and purchase machines and equipment that should cost SKK 14.89 million. This figure is up almost 400 percent from 2002.

One of the company’s priorities is completion of the sewage plant Poprad-Matejovce with costs estimated at EUR 19.501 million. The company has asked the European Commission to finance the project from the ISPA fund. The EU contribution should be 60 percent of the completion cost. The state budget should contribute 25 percent and the rest will be covered by PVS itself. The PVS director hopes construction of a sewage plant in Poprad could start in May 2004 while completion is expected within 18 months.

PVS was established on May 1, 2003 from the transformation of Vychodoslavenske Vodarne a Kanalizacie. To date, company`s share capital represents SKK 1.626 billion; its claims were SKK 113.871 million and obligations at SKK 199.014 million. The 100-percent owner of PVS is governmental privatization agency FNM. However, PVS shares should gradually be transferred to villages and towns of the region.

(EUR 1 = SKK 41.319 on September 17)

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