Albania to sell public shares in Albtelecom

TIRANA, Feb 17 – Following the sale of the minority stake at the AMC mobile phone operator the Albanian government is also planning to sell its 16 percent stake in the fixed-phone Albtelecom operator controlled by Turkey’s Calik Group.
Two years ago some 76 percent of Albtelecom was bought by Calik Enerji Telekomunikasyon AS and Turk Telekom for 120 million Euros.
Suzana Guxholli, an adviser to Prime Minister Sali Berisha, told an international news agency that the tender could be held in two months.
The Calik Group might be inclined to bid to take total control of the Albtelecom.
Albtelecom has borrowed 100 million Euros from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Black Sea Bank to upgrade its network and increase capacity.
It has 270,000 subscribers and plans to add 340,000 by June in and around the capital Tirana and the nearby town of Durres.
Albtelecom also owns Eagle Mobile, the third mobile operator in the country, which also plans to issue a fourth GSM mobile phone license.