ITU/94-2
14 February 1994
ORIGINAL: English

Telecommunication investment and financing strategies:
what role for the private sector?

The International Telecommunication Union is holding a 
roundtable in Banjul (The Gambia) from 28 February to 2 
March next to address the issue of the role of the private 
sector in telecommunication investment and financing.

The roundtable follows up on a resolution of the African 
Telecommunication Development Conference held in Harare in 
1990 which recommended that African governments and 
administrations create an appropriate investment climate. The 
Resolution also called for the introduction of commercial 
practices in telecommunication operations,  guarantees for 
investors and liberalization of selected services and for the 
widening of financing possibilities with options such as equity 
participation or fund-raising through the issue of domestic 
bonds.

Organized by the Telecommunication Development Bureau of 
the ITU, the meeting is addressed to top management, to 
finance officers, to investors and consultants involved in 
investment and financing. The aim is to review current and 
foreseen investment and financing strategies, assess the 
obstacles (regulatory and legal) which have so far prevented 
private sector involvement in telecommunication and propose 
an action programme which would define the investment 
conditions, regulatory and interconnection issues, tariff 
policies, funding and resource mobilization requirements as 
well as the role of financing institutions. The roundtable will 
also provide an opportunity to review privately financed or co-
financed projects for Africa thus illustrating the potential for 
private sector participation and partnership in the development 
of African telecommunication networks and services.

40 participants are expected including representatives of 
African telecommunication operators and regulators, 
international telecommunication companies, regional 
development banks, African business organizations, bilateral 
finance institutions as well as the International Finance 
Corporation and UNIDO Centre for Industrial Development.

In addition to providing participants with know-how on policy 
reform and evaluation of projects, the lessons to be drawn 
from the case studies that will be presented will also constitute 
valuable guidelines to create an attractive environment for both 
domestic and foreign potential investors. The meeting is also 
expected to produce policy recommendations to be submitted 
to the World Telecommunication Development Conference 
taking place in Buenos Aires from 21 to 29 March 1994.

The programme of the roundtable is available on request. 

For press enquiries, please contact:
Francine Lambert
Chief, Press and Public Information
International Telecommunication Union
Tel: +41 22 730 5969
Telefax: +41 22 730 5939
E-mail:  
X400: s=lambert;a=arcom;p=itu;c=ch
Internet:  francine.lambert@itu.ch

For information on the contents of the roundtable, please contact:
Jürgen Muller
Senior Economist
Policies, Strategies and Programming
Telecommunication Development Bureau
International Telecommunication Union
Telephone: +41 22 730 5945
Telefax: +41 22 730 5484
E-mail:  
X400: s=itumail;a=arcom;p=itu;c=ch
Internet: itumail@itu.ch

As from 28 February 1994, Mr Muller can be reached at +220 22 
55 96 or +220 45 29 40