Top Polish bank PKO BP sold retail T-bonds worth PLN 13 bln in 2 yearsas issue agent

  Poland's largest bank, PKO BP,
sold retail  Treasury  bonds with a total value of PLN 13 bln in the two years since  it  took  over the role of issue agent from no.2 bank Pekao SA, Jan  Kuzma, the director of brokerage house BDM PKO BP, told a press conference Tuesday.
     In  the  two-year  period  since  August 2003, PKO BP noted average monthly  sales  of retail Treasury bonds offered by the Finance Ministry of PLN 500-600 mln - 18% higher than when Pekao SA was the issue agent.
     The  bonds, which are offered in 1,000 outlets and via internet and telephone,  were  purchased by 400,000 clients, 60% of which weren't PKO BP customers.
     Clients  were  the most interested in 2-year bonds, which accounted for 71%  of  all  of  the  sold bonds, though their share of total sales dropped to 55.7% in the second year from 85.6% in the first year. At the same time investors showed increased interest for 3-and 5-year bonds.