Investors from Russia and Kazakhstan have shown interest in buying the Belarusian government’s 51% stake in MTS Belarus, according to deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Kalinin.
Belarusian news agency Belta quoted Kalinin as saying: “[t]here is demand…
Investors from Russia and Kazakhstan have shown interest in buying the Belarusian government’s 51% stake in MTS Belarus, according to deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Kalinin.
Belarusian news agency Belta quoted Kalinin as saying: “[t]here is demand on the part of Kazakh businessmen and Russian ones.”
He reportedly said a second market assessment of the state’s share in the joint venture with Russian telecoms giant MTS is underway, and stressed the government is planning on selling at a “high” price. However, he added it does not expect to get more than the stake’s market value.
Belarus has made multiple attempts to sell its stake in MTS Belarus, which it holds via the State Property Committee and incumbent telco Beltelecom, since 2011. It has repeatedly adhered to a US$1bn figure, referring to a 2010 market assessment.
However, Belta quoted deputy economy minister Alexander Yaroshenka earlier this month as saying that a US$800m to US$900m price tag would cover half of Belarus’s balance of payments deficit for 2014.
The government launched the current sales process this September.
According to MTS, its Belarus unit had 5.3 million subscribers at the end of Q3 2013, equal to a 47% market share.
MTS has previously said it would be interested in buying out the Belarusian government, but not for US$1bn.
