Veon backs out of GTH acquisition

Veon has announced it has backed out of plans to acquire GTH assets in Pakistan and Bangladesh due to the falling Pakistani Rupee and the reaction from GTH shareholders.

The acquisition was initially announced back in July to improve Veon’s footprint in emerging markets. The purchase was supposed to be funded through the €2.3 billion sale of Veon’s stake in Wind Tre to CK Hutchison, though the stars don’t seemed to have aligned for this bit of business.

The Pakistani rupee fell another 4% on Wednesday, setting a new record low, as the country continues to battle debt. The International Monetary Fund has promised funds to bailout the Pakistani government, though it appears this will not be enough to cover the shortfall. Analysts are predicting more troubled times ahead for the currency and Pakistani economy.

Aside from the gap in the spreadsheets, there are concerns the US would block any financial aid offered by the IMF due to concerns over Chinese investment in Pakistan in recent years. Considering the anti-China rhetoric which is gathering momentum in the US, this would hardly be a surprising move.

Coupled with a lack of approval from minority shareholders for the transaction it would appear Veon has had enough, perhaps considering the hassle too much in comparison to the gain.