Libya announced Thursday that the country intends to privatise its mobile phone sector starting next week, as part of its wider economic reforms.

The announcement was made by the son of Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, Seif al-Islam. At the inauguration of a national council for economic development, al-Islam said: “The two mobile phone companies, Al-Madar and Libyana, will go private as of Tuesday.”

Both firms are state owned with around 2.4 million users.