Cabinet Approves 2006 Privatization List.

The Cabinet approved a list of 518 companies to be privatized in 2006. The list also included 25 companies that would be prepared for privatization in 2007. Some of the bigger names on the list are the Nikopol Pivdennotrubny Pipe Plant (25% stake), The Kharkiv Tractor Factory (27.62%) and Kryvorizhstal (KSTL: BUY) (1.74%).  Concorde Capital: The current list does not include heavyweights like Ukretelecom (UTEL: HOLD), Odessa Portside, and Cherkassy Azot (AZOT), which the government has said it plans to privatize in the near future. However, in a news conference following the Cabinet meeting Valentina Semenyuk pointed out that the list would be subject to change, and could be amended several times during the course of the year.  In 2005, several enterprises jumped on and off the privatization list several times so until a date for the tender is set, there is no reason to get too excited.