[Info-tech] Fwd: Republika, 15.12.1999

[Besnik Pula]

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Press Review: "Republika"

Mysterious Company Stretches out Hands Towards Telekom


The fate of Albaniaís cellular phone system has been
left at the hands of the US company, ëNew World
Telecomí (NWT), which is suspected to exert a shady
activity, the Republic Party daily ëRepublikaí said.

ëNWTí, which has signed an act-agreement with Albanian
Mobile Communications to develop the cellular phone
system in Albania, has won some rights that run
contrary to the privatisation law on a strategic
sector.

International financial organisations have objected to
the signing of that agreement.

Following are extracts from the article:

The attempts to grab as much as possible from the
Albanian economy continues.

Known and unknown companies, official meetings,
promotion of agreements, hurried acts for the
finalisation of contracts and procurement of licences
are all rushing towards taking possession of Albanian
Mobile Communications (AMC).

Besides the five companies currently competing for
purchase of AMC, the issue of New World Telecom (NWT),
the US company that has reached an act-agreement with
AMC on the development of the cellular phone system
here, has resurfaced.

With the support of US officials, Embassy employees or
specific individuals in the Albanian government, NWT
has managed to win some rights that run contrary to
Albanian law, leaving behind such powerful companies
as Deutsche Telecom and Telecom Italia.

Everything has happened very quickly.

This US company, which carries out no activity in the
USA, while reports in India speak of a shady company,
has been allowed to handle the fate of Albaniaís
telephone system without being subject to two major
conditions defined by the law on the privatisation of
the strategic sector, transparency and competition.

That step was rebuked by the international financial
organisations. The European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development have twice asked the Premier to
reflect on this issue. The World Bank and
International Monetary Fund have made the same
proposal.

In addition, various intellectuals from Albania and
abroad, who have some knowledge of NWT, have objected
to the signing of this agreement.

The attitude of the new Minister of Public Economy and
Privatisation, Prec Zogaj, is not yet known as he is
presently abroad.


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