Power utility PPC’s ability to operate amid a fully competitive market without Greek State dependencies will be a crucial factor in its plan to restructure and restart.

The utility’s transformation has been on the cards for quite some time but conditions now seem ripe for all the talk to be put to action.

PPC’s exemption from slow-moving public contract procedures when needing to conduct business practices such as ordering new mechanical equipment appears to be one of the simpler tasks among the various tasks ahead.

Energy minister Costis Hatzidakis appears to agree on the need for a change in this domain.

It has become blatantly clear that state-controlled PPC cannot keep functioning in a competitive market when it takes the company months to complete orders and purchases of needed equipment when rivals are acquiring whatever they need in far less time.

Making matters worse, some PPC officials are hesitating to put their signatures to orders fearing public money mismanagement charges.

PPC would also like to be exempted from employee salary and recruitment limits imposed on all state-controlled companies as part of the bailout. Such issues, however, are politically sensitive.

These restrictions do not permit pay rises for personnel promoted to positions of greater authority and responsibility. The bailout pay-freeze regulation is prompting some employees to be on the lookout for opportunities elsewhere and also deterring qualified persons from seeking jobs at PPC.