GOVT BACKS BHARTI-MTN DEAL

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Wednesday that the Indian government backs the proposed merger of Bharti Airtel Ltd and South Africa’s MTN Group Ltd and it was looking into legal aspects related to a dual listing.

“Our position on this is very clear. In the first week of September, I had met the South African finance minister on the sidelines of the G-20 finance ministers’ summit in London, and told him that we are in favour of the deal,” Mukherjee said in Kolkata. “As far as dual listing is concerned, that is linked with full (capital account) convertibility. This has legal aspects, which we are looking into.”

On whether India would alter legislation to allow the record $24 billion (Rs1.15 trillion) deal, the finance minister said: “We welcome the deal but in the context of the law of land. There are some legal implications, which are being looked into.”

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