Kazakhtelecom will sell the debt of Central Asian telecommunication companies

/IRBIS, July 28, 00/ - REUTERS informs that national communication operator, Kazakhtelecom announced the sales of the debts of three companies - from Uzbekistan Khalkaro-Telecom, Tadjiktelecom and the center of international settlements and agreements of communication minister of Turkmenistan, for the services offered by Kazakhtelecom. According to the minister of transportation and communication, Serik Burkitbaev, Uzbekistani side owes $4.3 mln to Kazakhtelecom, other Central Asian countries owe around $1.0-$1.5 mln each. Kazakhtelecom is said to have disconnected incoming telephone calls from Uzbekistan, as well as transit channels used by Uzbekistan on the territory of Kazakhstan because of overdue amounts. It is said that it is the first experience of Kazakhtelecom in selling the debt for communication services, though the company has experiences in delayed payments. The minister said that if the situation got worse the debt would be sold at discount, but then it would be difficult to their partners, since then it will be not Kazakhtelecom, but other financial institutions taking away this debt. As the representative of the company told to Reuters, Uzbekistani counterparts promised to repay part of the debt at $1.0 mln in two parts, with $500,000 being paid back in the first quarter of 2000, and the second $500,000 in the second quarter as goods. Tadjikistan is said to pay $30,000-$40,000 a month. Turkmenistan offered to pay off the debt by supplying electricity, but the Kazakhstani part does not seems to agree with this, since it has to settle the matter on electricity transit over Uzbekistan.