Austria: on the last day of calls for tender for the privatization of PBK - POSTSPARKASSE, the Austrian savings post office bank and the country's last State-owned bank, on 2 August, two candidates remained. These were local financial players associated with German partners, BANQUE POUR LE TRAVAIL ET L'ECONOMIE, backed by the German insurer ALLIANZ, and VOLKSBANKEN, associated with the German insurance firm ERGO. DEUTSCHE POSTBANK, whose offer stood at some 1.2 bn euro and the Austrian bank RAIFFEISENBANK pulled out of the race. - Poland: returns on privatization in Poland amount to between $5.6 bn and $5.8 bn for the year 2000, up on budgetary forecasts that counted on $4.7 bn. Privatization should also exceed forecasts in 2001 and begin to fall in 2002, due to the fall in the volume of heritage left to be privatized. - Argentina: according to Fundation Capital, financial analysis establishment, the Argentinean Government will have to implement an austerity plan as early as possible given the public deficit of $2.37 bn. To remedy this situation, the State is contemplating proceeding with the sale of assets in companies it owns and that may be privatized. Argentina still holds between $700 and 800 million in shares in companies that have only been partially privatized, especially in the energy sector, very profitable.