Latest interested party in AlbTelecom: Oger Telecom

TIRANA, March.26- In an interview for Reuters, Dubai’s Oger Telecom manager has expressed the interest to consider purchasing shares of Albteelcom. Thus a new player enters the race for Albania’s fixed line monopoly. Oger, which recently missed out on Saudi Arabia’s third mobile license, is keen to nail at least two acquisitions in 2007 before re-launching its plans which it scrapped last year due to the slump in the Arab markets, reported Reuters. Oger is watching the possible privatization of Kazakhtelecom, while it is also interested in a majority holding in Albania’s AlbTelecom. The company would also look at bidding for a majority stake in Albanian fixed and mobile phone operator Alba Telecom through Turk Telekom if the government issues a new tender this year,” he said.
Oger Telekom and Telecom Italia own the largest part of the shares of Turk Telekom. During 2005, these two companies acquired 55 percent of the state owned Turkish company for $ 6.6 billion. Oger Telekom will spend $ 4-5 billion for 2007 purchases.
The Albanian government may re-issue a tender of more than 60 percent in Alba Telecom after its first tender received interest from only one Turkish bidder, company representative Doany said.
The telecommunications company owned by the state has been listed for sale since 2001. In a legal declaration rules were set out to give no more 76 percent of the shares to a strategic investor. The privatization has been problematic from the outset because it was surrounded by political contestations. The Nano government decided upon the Turkish telecommunications company “Calik Enerji Telekomunikasyon A.S”
The offer of 120 million euro was not deemed appropriate. An investigation by the well-known auditor Deloitte made it clear that Calik was far from being a strategic investor. When the administration changed hands, on October 13 of 2005 the new government did not approve the sale contract. The government reassessed Calik and gave the yes after a visit of Prime Minister Berisha to Turkey in September of 2006.