Pakistan on Tuesday turned down a suggestion from Etisalat for the settlement of a privatisation dispute with charge of $263 million, which changed into most effective one-1/3 of the wonderful dues, and requested the United Arab Emirates (UAE) business enterprise to double the quantity.
The provide made by means of UAE’s telecom massive Etisalat is even lower than the charge it changed into willing to pay six years ago. A delegation of Etisalat met Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for the second one time in two months to find a way to the 17-year-vintage privatisation dispute.
The enterprise owes $800 million in privatisation proceeds of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). However, no Pakistani government has taken the buyer to the international courtroom of arbitration.
“Both facets agreed to continue with the decision of all extremely good issues among Etisalat and the Privatisation Commission in a spirit of goodwill,” stated the Ministry of Finance. But it did now not percentage phrases of the provide.
Etisalat International’s delegation became led by means of its Chief Executive Officer Mikhail Gerchuk. The delegation comprised Abdulrahim Abdulla Abdulrahim Al Nooryani, CEO Etisalat Pakistan, Hatem Bamatraf, President and CEO PTCL and Ufone, and Kamal Shehadi, Chief Strategy International.
The UAE company has withheld cash because of Pakistan’s incapacity to switch the closing 33 houses within the name of PTCL, which the authorities had dedicated in 2005. However, Pakistan has already transferred over three,000 homes but Etisalat did now not pay any money out of the remaining $800 million.
A government respectable stated that Ishaq Dar become inclined to settle the dispute at round $500 million in coins. But Etisalat did no longer without delay reply to the minister’s counter-provide. This suggests that the government is willing to jot down off as a minimum $three hundred million out of the superb dues. Over the years, many Pakistani cabinet ministers have made counter-gives but the matter is still pending.
A latest impartial observe carried out by using economists reveals that PTCL’s deal was in violation of Pakistani policies because the employer’s control changed into handed over for just 26% shareholding.
In July 2005, Etisalat sold 26% stocks in PTCL with control manage at a fee of $2.6 billion. After coming to realize that the second one bid was way decrease at $1.Four billion, the UAE firm attempted to back off from the offer.
Then privatisation minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lured the organisation by presenting it to make an initial charge of $1.4 billion and the closing quantity in nine installments till September 2010. Moreover, he dedicated to switch the residences owned by PTCL to Etisalat. But the various homes have been no longer owned by way of PTCL or the federal government. Some belonged to the provincial governments. The dispute is over principal residences located in Karachi and Multan, whose price runs into billions of rupees.
In 2018, the then privatisation secretary stated that consistent with Pakistan’s assessment, the price of disputed residences changed into not more than $88 million. But consistent with the settlement, the best fee determined through any of the two parties may be the final fee of the homes.
Pakistan served a 2nd shortfall word on Etisalat in September 2015, informing the organization that it could not switch the ultimate 33 residences and that it might must pay the first rate dues by adjusting the value of those houses, in keeping with the privatisation secretary.
The Privatisation Commission has inside the beyond knowledgeable the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that Etisalat did now not share its valuation with Pakistan however, according to facts, it became over $450 million. Etisalat has submitted its valuation to the escrow account agent of HSBC Bank, London.
