In his first interview for Televizija Slovenia, the chief executive officer of the Bank Assets Management Company Imre Balogh, who had taken up his post four months ago, discussed some of the recent decisions and developments. According to Balogh, the BAMC – also informally referred to as the Slovenian bad bank – never had any intention to sell its share in the tourist and real estate company Sava to a financial fund called York. He also commented the withdrawal of Bojan Petan, the chairman of DZS publishing company, noting that this had been initiated by the creditor banks.

The results of a tender on purchasing Cimos, one of the biggest Slovenian export companies, should have been published this week, but BAMC has decided to extend the deadline, confirmed Balogh. "I wouldn't like to comment on potential investors. The contract could include provisions that would temporarily prohibit closing the company and dismissing the workers. That would certainly affect the selling price," said Balogh in response to rumours that the notorious Bosnian businessman Nijaz Hastor is among potential buyers and that he could move Cimos' production to Bosnia.

BAMC caused quite a stir in its decisions regarding Sava, the company that controls an important part of tourism in Slovenia. To save the over indebted company, the Slovenian government demanded from BAMC to transfer its claims to the Slovenian Sovereign Holding. Yet, this has not been realised yet. "The government's decision didn't comprise any instructions that we would need to follow," argued CEO of BAMC.

A surprising decision was also announced this week by the banks that had loaned 90 million euros TO DZS. Apparently dissatisfied with its chairman, they have called on Bojan Petan to step down. Balogh explained that "the creditors have legitimate reasons" for that. Unofficially, Petan has been late with selling Marina Portorož and Terme Čatež, and it is being speculated that the DZS Group also has negative working capital.

V. Z., TV Slovenija; translated by K. Z.