Second Operator technical deputy denies commitments to enter bourse

“Second Operator is a non joint-stock company, so it should first be changed to joint-stock company in order to enter bourse but IranCell has no obligation and commitments regarding the matter,” Ali- Asghar EiniPour said.
While the former head of Second Operator trade commission, Barat Ghanbari had said before the replacement of Turkish operator with the African operator MTN in Second Operator project, the Economics Council had approved that 21% of IranCell shares be devoted to Melli Bank and Post Bank and after 2 years be sold off on bourse. But after the replacement it was planned that the 21% share should enter bourse through domestic partners instead.
“But the 21% share assignment has not yet taken place,” he said.
“The Iranian-foreign operator MTN-IranCell should prepare itself for assignment on bourse. This delay should be followed by Radio Communication and Regulations Organization so that the company share changes to joint-stock,” he added.
Second Operator was founded with the aim of being privatized later and it was planned that 51% of its shares would not remain with its Iranian partners (Mostazafan Foundation and SaIran Company), therefore the license owners committed to offer 21% on bourse after two years to help privatization procedure.
The former ICT minister had told Mobna that according to Second Operator license its shares should have been privatized but 4 years has passed since license issuance and it is a kind of violation.
But RCRO license issuance deputy told Mobna news agency that according to Second Operator license 21% of its shares should be privatized after 3 years. “The deadline was passed 3 months ago and RCRO should follow the issue,” Lotfollah Sabouhi said.
He believed that IranCell-MTN has time and was not in violation at all.
3 years have passed since IranCell released its sim cards on the market and according to RCRO it has around 12 million subscribers although the operator believes it has over 14 million.
113/19