Czech Govt Agrees To Launch Telecom Privatization

The Czech government agreed to launch a tender process for selling some or all of the remaining 51 percent state-held stake in the fixed-line monopoly SPT Telecom a.s. . Transport and Communications Minister Antonin Peltram told a news conference on Monday after a Cabinet meeting that the process would begin by selecting a global adviser for the tender in early 2000 and should be completed with a winner named in late 2000 or early 2001."If everything proceeds well, the privatization of the state stake could be concluded by the end of 2000 or the beginning of 2001," Peltram said, adding that the offer would have to be more advantageous for the state. Peltram subsequently said the government was aiming to sell all of its 51 percent stake in the company. Peltram added that he thought the Dutch-Swiss consortium TelSource - comprised of KPN Telecom and Swisscom AG which already holds about a third of SPT shares - should not have priority over other bidders in the tender.