Government expresses serious interest in acquiring OKD coal mining company

If the mining company New World Resources were to put the Ostrava black coal mining company OKD on sale the government would seriously consider acquiring it, Industry and Trade Minister Jan Mládek told Czech public television on Monday. He said the government would like to see OKD, which employs around 14,000 people, kept in operation for another 10 years. New World Resources said last week it was preparing for the possible sale of its unprofitable daughter companies, including OKD. OKD runs four mines in the Czech Republic, including the Paskov mine in North Moravia, which it plans to close in three years’ time.