[ALBSA-Info] SHEKULLI

[Agron Alibali]

Press Review: "Shekulli"

AMC Scandal Covered Up by The Pretenders 

The Greek company "Panafon" is undertaking
privatisation procedures for Albanian Mobile
Communications (AMC), the only mobile telephone
company in Albania, independent daily ‘Shekulli’
reported on Monday. 

The paper reported that Panafon is financially no more
stronger or weaker than AMC. Looking at AMC’s
financial situation it can be said that this company
could buy shares in similar companies in the Balkans,
and beyond. 

Following are excerpts from the report:

Albanian Mobile Communications (AMC), Albania’s mobile
telephone company with five year’s experience in the
market, recorded a profit of Lek936m for 1999. But
this company, which has extended its activity to all
the major cities of the country, will be sold abroad. 

One of the companies to have started privatisation
procedures for AMC is Panafon, with its centre in
Greece. Like AMC, Panafon was established this decade,
in 1992, and is financially no stronger or weaker than
AMC. When comparing the incomes of Panafon and AMC,
and considering the respective population densities
and territorial sizes in which the two companies
operate, the revenues of the two companies are almost
the same. 

Consequently, it can be said that AMC has the moral
right to buy Panafon’s shares. Likewise, when
considering AMC’s financial situation, it can be said
that this company can buy shares in similar companies
in the Balkans and further. 

Albania has a very favourable position at the
crossroads of sea and air routes. But the companies
that are to privatise AMC are some of those that were
omitted from the list of competitors during a
preliminary process undertaken by the Italian company,
IMI. 

To give Panafon, or another company on the list, the
opportunity to privatise AMC means that something has
happened with the privatisation procedures, since much
more reputable companies on the continent, and
elsewhere in the world, in the field of mobile
telephone systems have been omitted from this process
while daughter companies as young as AMC and with a
financial and economic situation similar to it have
been selected. 

The economic mentalities should be changed and for a
start it should be said that it is time for Albania’s
economy to become more demanding and extensive. 

The opening up to foreign markets does not only mean
that foreigners would devour the economy, property and
natural resources of the Albanians but also that this
would block the chance for the latter to invest in 

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