Baron Daniel Janssen: Bulgaria Has to Speed Up Major Privatization Deals

Novinite Insider » INTERVIEW | September 15, 2003, Monday // 00:00
Baron Daniel Janssen: Bulgaria Has to Speed Up Major Privatization Deals Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (novinite.com)

Baron Daniel Janssen (born in 1936) is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Solvay S.A. He was also Chairman of the Executive Committee from June 2, 1986 till June 4, 1998. **

He spoke to novinite.com Editor Petya Bondokova.

Q: What are the specific steps you take to promote Bulgarian business abroad?

A: What we do in particular, for the fifth time this year, is to make an assessment of what Bulgarian government has done over the last year, and also what it has not done. We tell the government what are the difficulties in front of Bulgarian business, as seen through the eyes of international business people. Our association gives its opinion of what could be done better or faster in order for business to go forward.

I must say that over the last five years in each one we find some progress in Bulgaria.

Q: Do you meet top statesmen of other European countries as you do in Bulgaria?

A: Leaders of some 46 major European industrial companies are members of the ERT. We meet regularly heads of states of the European Union member nations. Once or twice a year we meet Chancellor Schroeder, Jacques Chirac, Tony Blair and the others. We work with them to put pressure to improve the quality of the European Union and its competitiveness against the US and Asia.

For five years now we also do this with Bulgaria.

Q: How do you choose the countries whose government would like to meet?

A: Since five years we have decided that each of us could help countries that are part of the European Union enlargement process. Me and my colleges from the ERT meet with the member countries in order to help them to enter the European Union.

Q: Do you consider changes made in Bulgaria's cabinet in July a positive and efficient step?

A: Lidiya Shuleva [Bulgaria's new economy minister] seems to be an excellent minister. I have met her when she had another function but now it is her we are dealing with and she seems to be learning very quickly. She has been on her present post only for few months but we are very pleased with the fact that she was co-chairing this year's meeting with ERT.

Certainly we see that the government is moving ahead for more productivity and for a better Bulgaria.

Q: Do you think Bulgaria's two major privatization deals - those of Bulgartabac and the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company BTC - will be closed soon?

A: It is a decision that Bulgaria's government has to make. However, we think completing the sales is very important. The fact that these two major privatization deals have not taken place up till now is certainly a weakness for Bulgaria in the world's public eye. We understand there are difficulties -- it's always difficult -- but it is very important for Bulgaria, its government to make this decision because it's a way of bringing foreign investments into the country, and a way of making things more efficient. The sooner the sales are completed, the better it would be for the country.


** Baron Daniel Janssen graduated as a civil engineer from the Brussels University in 1958 and earned a Certificate in Nuclear Physics a year later. In 1962, he obtained a master's degree in business administration at the Harvard University.

Baron Janssen served as chairman of the Federation of Belgian Chemical Industries from 1976 to 1979, chairman of the Federation of Belgian Enterprises from 1981 to 1984 and President of CEFIC in 1991 - 1992.

He is also director of Fortis S.A. /N.V. and of Schroders Plc, Lodon. Baron Janssen is vice-chairman of the Board of and of the Executive Committee of UCB, a Belgian pharmaceutical and chemical company, where he worked from 1962-1984 and of which he was chairman of the Executive Committee from 1975-1984 before joining Solvay.

Member of the Steering Committee of the Trilateral Commission and of the European Round Table of Industrialists. He is also on the Board of the Belgian-American Educational Foundation and chairs the Advisory Board of the Solvay Business School.

Baron Janssen brought a delegation of the European Round Table of Industrialists (ERT) to Sofia for the annual meeting of the organization with Bulgaria's government.

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