After the ruling Simeon II National Movement and coalition partner Movement for Rights and Freedoms late on Tuesday approved the sale plan of the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC), the strategy is expected to be approved by the cabinet today. Candidates who wish to control the BTC should be telecoms with at least EUR 500 M revenue for 2001 or operating fixed line networks with two million subscribers at least. Financial investors with assets of over EUR 300 M will also be eligible to bid at the two-stage tender for the sale of up to 65% of Bulgaria’s Telecom, the sell-off plan of the company envisages. No minimum bid price would be set for the sell-off. There will be an option to get the country's third GSM network licence. Candidates would be asked to submit two separate indicative offers -- for a BTC stake and for a GSM licence, if they want the option. The strategy also provides that up to 20 percent in BTC will be placed on the local stock exchange. "The best option for our telecom market is that BTC has a private owner and this is why we want to guarantee a transparent and competitive procedure and select the best candidate," Deputy Transport and Communications Minister Nikolai Nikolov said for Reuters.

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