Islamabad: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with the shareholders of Telenor Pakistan (Private) Limited (TPL) for the acquisition of 100% shares for Rs108 billion ($385 million).
PTCL shared the development in its notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Thursday, putting to rest reports around Telenor Pakistan’s future in the country that had been the subject of much debate over the past year.
“Further to our letter dated August 29, 2023, whereby the Board of Directors (BoD) of PTCL had authorized the company to offer a binding offer to the target company.
“In view of the above, this is to notify your good office(s) that consequent to the approval of the BoD of the company, it has entered into a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) with the shareholders of TPL for the acquisition of 100% shares of TPL, based on an Enterprise Value of Rs 108 billion on a cash free, debt-free basis,” read the notice.
PTC’s share price already hit the upper limit on Thursday, with over 1.76 million shares changing hands. It was priced at Rs13.01 at the time of this report.
Telenor Pakistan is a mobile operator serving nearly 45 million subscribers with reported revenue of Rs112 billion based on last twelve months (LTM) September 2023 financial reporting.
PTCL’s major assets include Ufone, a mobile operator in Pakistan with over 20 million customers. Etisalat, with a significant minority stake, runs it under an agreement with the government of Pakistan, which has the majority stake.
“The transaction provides an opportunity for in-market consolidation in the telecom market which will predominantly lead to an improved long-term outlook of the telecom sector,” PTCL said in a statement.
Telenor Group, in a separate statement, said the transaction values Telenor Pakistan at NOK 5.3 billion on a cash-and-debt-free basis.
“This includes repayment of intercompany loans of NOK 3.5 billion and reduced interest-bearing liabilities of NOK 1.8 billion, including leases,” it said.
Sigve Brekke, CEO, Telenor Group, commented: “Our decision to pursue the sale of our Pakistan operations follows 18 successful years of operations in the country, which started as a greenfield rollout.
“By selling to the country’s largest integrated ICT company, we believe this consolidation move would help strengthen Pakistan’s telecoms sector, creating opportunities in new areas of growth to the benefit of consumers in Pakistan.”
