Three of the five consortia qualified to bid for the Peruvian government’s shares in two telephone companies have presented signed contracts to the telephone privatisation committee, Reuter reports from Lima: they include the GTE International Telecommunications Inc subsidiary of GTE Corp with Companhia Portuguesa Radio Marconi SA and Empresa Brasileira de Telecomunicacoes; the Southwestern Bell International Development subsidiary of Southwestern Bell Corp with Korea Telecom, Daewoo Telecom Ltd, Mexico’s Grupo Condumex SA – which holds a stake in Telefonos de Mexico SA – and Banco de Credito Overseas Ltd, an offshore unit of Peru’s largest bank; and Telefonica de Espana SA with Peru brewery Cerveceria Backus & Johonson SA, Peru’s Banco Wiese Ltd banking group and the Grano y Montero SAconstruction firm; the two other consortia that had presented documents, one led by AT&T Co and the other by France Telecom with Stet SpA did not present contracts, the source added; the consortia that put in signed contracts will eligible to bid on February 28 for the state’s 19.9% stake in Compania Peruana de Telefonos and 35% of its 100% holding in Entel Peru SA – the balance of the Entel shares will be held in a trust and sold gradually.
