Bharti-MTN deal hits BEE snag

The South African government is tightening the screws on the proposed $23 billion share-swap deal between MTN and Bharti Airtel by saying the company has to retain its character as a South African company, reports Business Standard.

Bloomberg quoted Tiyani Rikhotso, a spokesman for communications minister, Siphiwe Nyanda, as saying, “We obviously value MTN as a South African company and we want it to retain that character.”

The government's position brings to the fore complex black economic empowerment policies, whereby private companies must apply the black empowerment codes if they want to do business with any government enterprise or organ of state.

HCL Infosystems, the IT hardware vendor, has major plans to focus and expand its ICT business in India, states CIOL.

According to HCL Infosystems' founder and chairman, Ajai Chowdhry, HCL is one of the largest companies totally focusing on growing ICT market in India.

"We want to deeply focus initially on the Indian market and once we see opportunities of growing elsewhere we would look at those opportunities," says Chowdhry.

Telstra is still seeking a 'win-win' with the federal government, even under the threat of functional separation, according to CommsDay.

Just a day after new legislation was unveiled which will see Telstra either functionally or structurally separated as well as putting its HFC and Foxtel stake at risk, Telstra NBN engagement director Geoff Booth said the company will continue to engage with the government over its role in a national fibre roll-out.

Booth says Telstra's vision for a national broadband network “is a vision which is framed in an ever-changing environment”.