Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) intends to sell 34% of its issued shares in to Portugal Telecom, the holding company, Namibia Post and Telecom Holdings (NPTH) announced last weekend. The bidding process for a strategic partner was conducted in a transparent manner involving a public tendering process, according to NPTH). "This foreign direct investment is without doubt a very significant milestone for MTC, which has continued to successfully grow and expand the scope of its business at an extremely rapid pace since MTC obtained its cellular telecommunications licence in1994", said company secretary Leezhel van Wyk. APPARENTLY, MTN of South Africa also tendered to buy shares, but NPTH declined then offer and chose the Portuguese firm. MTC has a customer base of about 420,000. "This is a teledensity of about 23% and comparable to neighbouring countries," said MTC managing director Bengt Strenge. MTC was established in 1995 as a joint venture between Namibia Post and Telecommunications Holdings and 2 Swedish enterprises, Telia Overseas AB and Swedfund International AB. In May 2004, NPTH acquired the 49 percent stake of the two Swedish partners, making it a fully government-owned company. So far, MTC had a monopoly, but the Namibia Communications Commission will soon invite other bidders for a second licence.

The ministry of education is looking at the private business sector as a partner to tackle the education reforms it plans until 2015. At a business breakfast meeting organised by the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) in Windhoek this week, Justin Ellis, under–secretary in the ministry outlined some projects where the private sector could become involved, apart from donating school books and computers. One project would be to construct housing for teachers in rural areas, which would be an incentive for qualified teachers. The government would provide the land and seeks financial institutions to help fund the construction costs. Teachers would have to pay rent that would be deducted regularly from their salaries and in this way, the investment would be paid back over the years, Ellis explained. A new concept of "comprehensive schools" to be built in areas with poor communities is also on the drawing cards. Individual companies could become patrons of such schools, actively supporting them.

The education ministry also suggested having an independent consultancy established to co-ordinate future projects of the envisaged public-private partnership in the education sector and liase with stakeholders. A round table pledging conference for donors and the private sector will be convened for 19 and 20 April in Windhoek to discuss concrete steps for the educational reform programmes (ETSIP). The relevant documents are available at www.nied.edu.na.