The Czech government has decided not to take what might have been the first step toward selling the Budejovicky Budvar brewery, the Prague Daily Monitor reports.
Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said there on no current plays to privatize the brewery. “This is no privatisation,” he said, adding that transforming the brewery into a joint-stock company would take about 12-18 months.
He also dismissed speculation that his adviser Marek Dalik is in talks with US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch.
An earlier story.
I’m afraid they *haven’t* decided not to take the first step – they’ve just pointed out that the process (i.e. conversion to a joint stock company) hasn’t started yet and will take some time. They’re definitely going to do it, though. They still need to appoint lawyer and accountants to do the legwork, but they’re definitely doing it. Of course, that doesn’t mean a total or even partial privatisation will follow, but let’s not kid ourselves.