“There is a growing appetite for privatization of TAP” – Economic

"There is a growing appetite for privatization of TAP" – Economic

Herminia Saraiva

Yesterday 14:42

Secretary of State for Transport confirms the existence of “informal contacts”, but says that the privatization of TAP will only be relaunched when they are “satisfied the minimum requirements in terms of competitiveness” .

The Executive does not commit to a timetable for the resumption of the privatization process TAP, but Sérgio Monteiro Silva maintains that there are increasingly “potentially interested” in Portuguese airline.

“We have felt during this year 2014, via improved financial performance of the company, which is growing in passenger numbers and profitability, a growing appetite in relation to the privatization process, but this appetite is potential if it will materialize or not, we have no certainty, so it is not making any decision on the resumption of the process, “he said this morning the Secretary of State for Transport in a meeting with reporters.

The ruler recognizes that “informal contacts in this process,” but that it “does not mean that these manifestations of informal interest after materialize in proposals.” Sérgio Monteiro reaffirms, therefore, that the privatization will be relaunched only when the Executive to ensure that “the minimum conditions from the point of view of competitiveness are met for the process to be successful.”

As the Economic Daily reported last week, the businessman Miguel Pais do Amaral, who advances in consortium with the American Frank Lorenzo and the Barraqueiro group has delivered Government a non-binding offer for the purchase of the Portuguese airline, a proposal that includes guarantees by JP Morgan that funding from European and American investors would be guaranteeing.