DUSHANBE, June 28, Asia-Plus – ComNews – Fintur Holdings B.V., whose controlling shareholder is TeliaSonera, is completing private negotiations on buying assets of the US MCT Corp, ComNews said.
MCT currently operates through four joint ventures serving Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, providing cellular communications services in the GSM standard.
The deal is expected to be concluded before the end of this summer and its total amount will be $400 million.
In Tajikistan, MCT Corp runs its business through Central Asia Telecommunications Development B.V (CATD), registered in the Netherlands. MCT owns 40 percent of the shares and the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) assumes the 40 ownership interest in CATD.
CATD owns 100 percent of shares of closed joint-stock company Indigo-Tajikistan and 70 percent of shares of closed joint-stock company Somoncom (the remaining 30 percent of shares belong to local physical entities, including Somoncom’s management).
Indigo-Tajikistan launched service in July 2002 in the southern region of Tajikistan and is a leading operator in southern Tajikistan. In addition to the capital of Dushanbe, Indigo-Tajikistan provides coverage to all major population centers as well as to remote districts in Gorno Badakhshan region. Indigo-Tajikistan currently provides national and international automatic roaming, and other major value-added-services supported by advanced digital networks.
Somoncom launched service in 1999 in the northern region of Tajikistan as the first GSM operator in Tajikistan. Somoncom has the largest network coverage area in northern Tajikistan. Somoncom provides coverage to all major population centers, including the remote Panjakent district, as well as to mountainous areas along Tajikistan’s north-south highway. Somoncom currently provides national and international automatic roaming, and other major value-added-services supported by advanced digital networks, including GPRS-based services.
In Afghanistan, MCT owns 12.25 percent of shares the cellular operator Roshan. Roshan is backed by an international consortium formed by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) at 51%, Monaco Telecom International (MTI) at 36.75% and MCT Corp. at 12.25%.
MCT put its assets in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan on auction last year already.
In the meantime, Indigo Tajikistan refrained from giving further details on this issue.
Fintur Holdings B.V. is one of the leading providers of mobile telecommunications services in the Eurasian emerging markets through its operations in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Moldova. The total population in the countries where Fintur operates exceeds 31 million, and the Company”s network coverage spans over 23 million people. Fintur has proven track record in building strong and profitable operations in CIS markets. Fintur”s experience in establishing and managing operations in the region makes it well placed to exploit the new market opportunities. Fintur”s Companies have established strong partnerships with local regulatory bodies in incumbent operators
TeliaSonera is the leading telecommunications company in the Nordic and Baltic region and also holds strong positions in mobile communications in Eurasia, Turkey and Russia. At the end of 2006 TeliaSonera launched mobile services in Spain. It offers reliable, innovative and easy-to-use services for the transmission and packaging of sound, images, data, information, transactions and entertainment.
