Rwandatel : not yet sold ?

The Rwandan government revealed more details today (5 November 2002)
of its thinking on the plan to privatise public telecommunications operator
(PTO) Rwanda Telecommunications Ltd (Rwandatel) through the sale of a 51%
stake. The initial decision to privatise the operator was made at a cabinet
meeting on 4 September 2000. It was originally intended that the transaction would
be concluded by November 2001, which under market conditions was then
hoped to be achieved this year (see Rwanda: 19 April 2002: Rwandatel Set to Be
Privatised During 2002). In an interview with Reuters, a government official said
that Rwanda now hopes to finalise the process by the end of 2003. But whilst
acknowledging that the lack of appetite for telecom investments could
depress demand for the Rwandatel (see Africa Regional: 10 December 2001: An
Inopportune Time to Privatise?), the official said that the government was keen to
inject professionalism and efficiency with external assistance. The proposed
structure of the privatisation is that a 51% stake will be sold to a strategic
investor, a 43% stake to local investors, 5% to staff and the government would
retain a 1% share. See also the list of upcoming opportunities published by the
Privatisation Secretariat within the Ministry of Finance and Economic
Planning (www.minecofin.gov.rw/agencies/privatization/investmentopportunities.htm).