The deadline for submitting non-binding offers in the privatization process of Telekom Slovenije expires today, and it is believed that out of the 15 interested parties from the first phase, about ten will submit offers, writes the Ljubljana daily newspaper “Dnevnik” in its business supplement on Monday.
Among the strongest interested parties expected to submit an offer is Deutsche Telekom, which in the first phase of expressing interest competed through two companies from its group, Magyar Telekom and Hrvatski Telekom HT. Deutsche Telekom obtained the tender documentation through these two companies due to "internal disagreements" within the Deutsche Telekom group, but it is more likely that only Magyar Telekom will submit a non-binding offer, writes "Dnevnik" citing its sources. Alongside the Germans, Arab investors from Oger Telecom are also very interested in Telekom Slovenije, the newspaper reports. "Dnevnik" states that the shareholders of Telekom Slovenije are primarily concerned about which of the interested parties will be assessed as a good opportunity, as a "staggering market price" of 500 euros per share is expected.
If Telekom Slovenije were to be privatized through investment funds that have submitted their offers, their goal would be to earn and then sell the company again to a strategic partner, i.e., a large telecommunications company, writes the newspaper. Telekom Slovenije, notes "Dnevnik", is interesting to investors due to its low indebtedness, while its weak point is that in recent years it has "caught" too little market in other Southeast European countries, so now about 6 percent of its revenue is generated outside Slovenia. With the restructuring of Telekom Slovenije after privatization, it should be expected that between 30 and 50 percent of its employees will be laid off, states "Dnevnik". (H)
