FILE PHOTO: Displaying logo of Vodafone. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade
MANILA, Philippines — The economic managers of the Duterte administration cited some of the highlights of their trip to the United Kingdom last week to meet with the British business sector.
The economic managers who joined the trip were Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia and Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.
According to Diokno, they were able to meet with UK’s telco giant, Vodafone that appeared interested in the possibility of joining the Philippines’ telecommunications market as a new major player.
“We had a discussion of our interest to introduce the third party in a duopolistic market…they appeared interested,” Sec. Diokno said.
When pressed for more information, Diokno clarified that Vodafone has yet to officially express interest but they raised some concerns on the process of doing business in the Philippines.
“They asked many questions, because Vodafone, as I said, is the biggest telco company in the world. And of course, they want to make sure that we’ll protect their reputation and they don’t want to be involved in shady deals,” he said.
Diokno added that Vodafone has the means to work on the necessary requirements if ever they decide to participate in the bidding process.
Vodafone in 2013 participated in a bidding process to acquire a mobile telecommunications license in Myanmar but later withdrew, citing the country’s allegedly non-strict internal investment criteria.
Interested telcos have until November 7 to submit their proposals to the Department of Information and Communications Technology. The agency targets to name the third telco by December 2018.
The companies that have signified interest include the Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Converge ICT Solutions, and Transpacific Broadband Group International and Easy Call Communications Philippines. — Rosalie Coz
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