MTN Uganda, one of the biggest service providers in Africa is in talks to sell an unspecified stake to the state-run National Social Security Fund that would widen local shareholding currently at only 5%, President Yoweri Museveni’s office said.
The
company is in the process of negotiating “disposing shares to NSSF”, according
to an e-mailed statement following a meeting between the Ugandan leader and MTN
Group CEO Rob Shuter at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“It is
important that you float shares on the local stock exchange to allow for local
ownership now that the licence has been renewed,” the statement quoted Museveni
as saying, without giving details.
Planned
share offers by MTN Uganda follow similar moves by group in Ghana and Nigeria —
both agreed to by the Johannesburg-based company as part of a deal with
regulators.
A
20-year licence for the company with a 55% market share expired in October,
according to the Uganda Communication Commission.
The government planned to charge the company US$58-million
(R800-million) to renew the permit for 10 years, the Daily Monitor newspaper reported last week. The
amount was reduced from an initial $100-million after MTN said it would roll
out high-speed Internet connections across the country as required under a new
national broadband policy.
Museveni told Shuter that MTN should offer more value-added products, rather than just “extending talking services”.
MTN has proved to be the most used service provider in African countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, to mention just a few.
Source : techcentral news
