"Elkos" competes again

On the other hand, the statement of Minister of Economic Development Besim Beqaj, that they are not nor under the time neither the financial pressure to privatize Telecom, seems not to be true.

Officials of "Elkos" prove the contrary, and experts say that the fact they want to complete this process in less than four months, this is budgetary pressure anyway.

Bekim Abazaj, project manager in "Elkos" says they will compete anyway as they have legal option and will announce the name of the company in early September.

According to him, they will not have 75% of the shares as they have aimed but they hope not to have fewer shares than the Government.

Abazaj: We will have more shares than the Government

"Of course, we will have a greater percentage, but not as we have aimed to have 75 percent.

We will aim more than the Government, but depends on how partners will enable us, he said”.

While the experts of economic issues say that these kinds of agreements should be explained whether they are a concession or what kind of agreements are?!

Ibrahim Rexhepi, executive director of STRAS, says the Government by selling the Telecom spends its resources to participate as significant factor in the market.

"It is the matter of budget problems, but also of problems with macro-financial stability, but there is also another problem. It will be sold, the money will be spent and then will appear the same problems again ", he said.

On the other hand, the minister Besimi Beqaj has requested a few extra days before the decision for pre-qualification, puts is doubt the lack of time pressure.

Otherwise, a few days ago, the Evaluation Committee has prequalified five companies for the privatization of 75% of the assets of Telecom, disqualifying three others, among them also the "Elkos" company as the only local competitor since the beginning of the process. / T.GASHI

M.ZEKA