Honduras to privatise power company and airports

Honduras will sell off its state-owned electrical power company and the country's four international airports in 1999, officials announced.
The National Electrical Energy Company, a 740 MW power supplier, could bring $ 500 mm in the privatisation sale, company manager Manuel Arraiga said.
Firms from the United States, Spain, Chile and Argentina have expressed interest in the sale, whose date was not announced, Arraiga said. The company serves about 400,000 customers.
In February, the government will issue bidding guidelines for the sale of operating concessions on four airports, including terminals in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba and Roatan.
The government has not said how much it expects to earn from the sale.
The country is also in the process of selling the state telephone company, Hondutel.