Deutsche Telekom is close to a deal to buy the rest of Slovak Telekom after it offered the local government about EUR 900 million, three people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. The German company, which bought 51 percent of Slovak Telekom in 2000, is in talks to pick up the 49-percent the Slovak government had planned to sell in an initial public offering. The buyout would include locking EUR 100 million in an escrow account until pending legal disputes are settled, the report said. The cabinet of Prime Minister Robert Fico put aside the planned IPO after it got a better offer from an undisclosed strategic investor, Finance Minister Peter Kazimir said earlier this month. This is thought to be Deutsche Telekom, which is likely willing to pay a premium to gain control of the company.
The government, which in the past criticized its German partner for a reluctance to distribute the unit's profits, may use the proceeds from the sale to cut the state debt. Kazimir has cited Slovak Telekom's dividend policy and ownership structure as the main reasons why the IPO was priced at the bottom of the indicative price range. Representatives of Deutsche Telekom and Slovak Economy Ministry declined to comment.
