December 11 (SeeNews) - Bosnia’s Muslim-Croat Federation said it had received bids for four factories that are part of the country’s biggest furniture maker, Krivaja Zavidovici.
Bosnian companies Ferimpex and S-G Gorje, and a consortium grouping Italian companies Metalmont and Metalmont Di Duzel Anto and Bosnian firms Djuzel Group-J and Marko-drvo have placed bids for veneer and wood plates maker Furnirnica, the Federation’s Agency for Privatisation said in a statement posted on its website.
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Ferimpex was the only bidder for three other factories – patterned flooring maker Parketara, bedroom and living room furniture maker Namjestaj IV and steam and hot water supplying unit Energetika i Odrzavanje.
In October, the Federation government's asset-selling agency offered for sale the eight companies forming the Krivaja group without setting minimum prices. In evaluating the received bids, the agency said it will place 35% weight on the offered price, 35% on the potential investor’s employment plans and 10% each on investment plans, business plans and the experience of the bidders.
Wood-processing and furniture production are one of Bosnia’s main export industries. Krivaja used to be among Bosnia’s top 10 exporters but is now troubled due to lack of fresh investments. The Muslim-Croat Federation government failed to sell Krivaja in one go in 2005 and decided to try to sell the factories of the group separately.
The Muslim-Croat Federation is one of the two autonomous parts forming war-divided Bosnia. The other is the Serb Republic.
Krivaja is based in the central Bosnian town of Zavidovici. It is among the several strategic companies which the Federation government has said it would seek to sell this year.
(1 euro = 1.95583 Bosnian marka)