Luxembourg-based telecom operator Millicom International Cellular Asia’s sale of its Sri Lankan operations, Tigo will be concluded by the first quarter of next year, a senior Millicom official said.
“We expect to complete the sale of Celltel Lanka Ltd, (the holding company of Tigo) by March of next year,” Perigreen Riviera, Head of Communications, Millicom told the Sunday Times FT in a telephone interview. When asked about media reports whether Bharti Airtel will buy the company, he said Millicom has had several Expressions of Interest (EOI), but declined to comment on the number of EOI, or who had sent them.
Malaysia's Axiata, which owns 85% of the dominant player Dialog Telekom, is also believed to be in one of the contenders. Last month the parent company said it had received expressions of interest for its Asian assets and that it had appointed Goldman Sachs as advisor for the transaction. Tigo is Sri Lanka's third largest mobile network with over two million subscribers and is worth US$150-200 million, industry officials say. |
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