Five state firms expected to go public in 2008

"Actually, sixteen state firms ate the target of our revitalization and privatization program. But at present only five of them have sufficient potential to enter the capital market," Djalil said on Monday.

He said his office would select which state-owned companies were ready to offer their shares to the public. "The important thing is that we want many state firms to go public."

State firms engaged in the plantation sector were among those having the potential of entering the capital market. "But this all depends on the companies themselves," he said.

But he stopped short of mentioning which state firms would go public. "We have yet to look at which of them are sufficiently prepared," he said.