MOSCOW, August 4 (RIA Novosti commentator Peter Lavelle) - The government could decide to sell its 75%-1 stake in Svyazinvest, one of the world's largest telecommunications holdings, before introducing charter changes to increase minority investor rights.
An appraisal commissioned by the Ministry of Economics and Trade on the implications of charter changes for the price raised by privatization is expected by Friday.
The government has also announced plans to amend communications legislation to ensure state security services are provided with telecom services after Svyazinvest's privatization, a major sticking point slowing the holding's privatization.
Telecom providers will be invited to bid for five-year contracts, with contacts assigned to a provider if no bidders come forward. Pricing would be set by contract, but could not exceed state tariffs.
