European Commission Approves Consortium Entry

Sep 10 , 2021


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The European Commission (EC) has cleared a joint venture between Safaricom and Vodafone for entry into the Ethiopian telecom market. The Commission initially announced its plans to scrutinise the entrance over competition concerns. In a statement made last week, the Commission said the Global Partnership for Ethiopia consortium did not pose any threat to fair competition, clearing the way for Vodafone to join its partners. Firms operating within the European Union require mandatory clearance from the watchdog for a range of activities, including acquiring other businesses and setting joint ventures in other markets they operate in. The Safaricom-led consortium was awarded the first-ever private telecom license in Ethiopia in July 2021, after offering 850 million dollars.


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