Prague wants its companies back, now Trade Center Prague is at stake
The leadership of the capital continues its campaign to regain under the wings of the city the companies in which Prague has the largest share. It plans to take over 100% of the company Trade Center Praha, which takes care of, among other things, city real estate, such as the Adria and Platýz palaces and Sova’s mills. The councilors had previously approved the repurchase of shares in Pražská plynárenská and expressed interest in a minority stake in Prague Services.
At present, Prague owns 90 percent of the shares of Trade Center Prague, so it was a purchase of the remaining ten percent from the shareholders of Ralt Raiffeisen-Leasing. The total value of the shares is approximately 3.2 million crowns, and Prague councilors on Tuesday approved the convening of a general meeting of companies. “It is in our interest that Prague is the 100% owner,” said Mayor Tomáš Hudeček.
In addition to the purchase of shares, which other councilors filled two vacancies on the company’s supervisory board, former councilors Helena Chudomelová and Jan Plíva held vacancies in the past.
Hudeček stated that the city continues to acquire 100% shares in strategic companies, and Prague councilors are still negotiating the purchase of shares in Pražská plynárenská, which is held by the German concern E.ON. The municipality wants to conclude the contract by the end of the year. An estimated 5.4 million crowns should be paid by Prague for controlling the entire group.
It wants to solve the financing with a bank loan, which will then be repaid by Pražská plynárenská. According to the city management, this will not increase indebtedness and installments will not burden the budget in any way. The plan of councilors for TOP 09 is also supported by the CSSD, both parties have agreed on the procedure within document 500 days for Prague.
At the same time, Prague is seeking to repurchase a stake in Prague Services in the amount of approximately 17.3 percent, which is owned by Northward Holding Limited. Metropole in Prague Services controls 77 percent of the shares.
After fifteen years, the municipality’s management also pushed for a change in the supply of drinking water to Praguers. At the same time, the contract between Prague and Veolia expires in October, and the city will take over the Káraný and Želivka water sources from French companies. According to Hudeček, the metropolis will save up to tens of millions of crowns a year by transferring a tenth of the water management infrastructure provided for the capital by the company Pražské vodovody a kanalizace (PVK), which belongs to the Veolia Group.