Four International Companies Show Interest in Kosovo Telecom

Four international companies have submitted requests to Kosovo's Ministry of Economic Development about the privatisation of  Kosovo Telecom - although the bidding process has yet to start.

"Several international companies have shown interest in the privatisation of Telecom: A1 Telekom Austria, Orange, Rockaway Capital I PFF Group and Artiller One," the ministry told BIRN.

The government on Tuesday started the procedures for the privatisation of Telecom in order to improve the performance of the company which, according to the Minister of Economic Development, Valdrin Lluka, has been troubled in recent years.

The ministry explained that initially some preconditions would have to be met before Kosovo Telecom is sold.

One was "the restructuring of the enterprise with the assistance of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, EBRD, with which the government of Kosovo will work closely in preparation for the privatisation process," the ministry said.

The most interested company so far has been Artillery One, owned by Daniel Peter Cannon.

Only a day before the government decided to start the privatisation procedures for Telecom, Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj met officials of the company.

A representative of Artillery One, Senton Kacaniku, told BIRN on Tuesday that they had asked the Ministry of Economic Development for the financial data on Telecom, in order to evaluate its worth.

He explained that the company was interested in buying 75 per cent of the shares through any procedure suggested by the ministry or the government.

"We are open either for application for strategic investor status or through any procedure determined on time by the government of Kosovo," Kacaniku said.

The ministry said...