Slovenia’s National Assembly has paved the way for the arrival of a strategic partner into subsidiaries of the state-owned railway company by eliminating a legislative provision that now makes that impossible.
MPs voted 66 in favour and 10 against scrapping a provision in the Slovenske železnice act that prevents the rail operator from sharing or transferring stakes in its subsidiaries to other legal entities.
The government proposed crossing out the provision on the grounds that it clashed with the strategy for the management of state equity stakes.
Infrastructure Ministry State secretary Klemen Grebenšek said the move would open Slovenske železnice affiliates to other stakeholders, but only up to 50% minus one share.
The changes are expected to allow the entry of a strategic partner in the freight transport division, which is in line with the operator’s strategy through 2020, which envisages an expansion of SŽ Tovorni promet to foreign markets.
Slovenske železnice is in talks on potential partnership with the Austrian railway operator, with which it has already signed a letter of intent.
According to director general Dušan Mes, the procedure could be completed by the end of the year.
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