Question marks as to the future of the Serbian incumbent Telekom Srbija remain three months after its failed privatisation.
Quoted by RTS, Rasim Ljajic, the minister of trade, tourism and telecommunications, said that the company can go in two directions: tendering for professional management or a tender for a minority stake.
He added that the government constantly talks to various stakeholders in the process and wants to reach the best possible solution.
While the privatisation of Telekom Srbija had – and indeed still has – little support among the Serbian public – the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently held a meeting with the country’s PM to discuss the issue.
The EBRD supports a sale and says the government should be realistic about both the price and the long-term benefits that can come with better management of the company.
One possible option, as suggested by the economist Mirojko Arsic, could be a stock market floation that would leave Telekom Srbija still majority Serbian owned.