Lisbon/Luanda — Angola plans to sell a minority stake in a state-owned telecommunications provider and hold an auction for a fourth industry operator, as President Joao Lourenco shakes up the business environment and reduces the influence of his predecessor’s family. The government of the oil-rich West African country has received several expressions of interest from local and foreign investors in the new telecommunications licence, state-owned news agency Angop said, citing the country’s telecommunications minister Jose Carvalho da Rocha. The winning bidder will be able to offer fixed-line, mobile, internet and paid-television services, Rocha said. A 45% stake in Angola Telecom will be sold, the minister said. The state-owned firm competes with Unitel, controlled by Isabel dos Santos, the former president’s oldest daughter and Africa’s richest woman. The third operator is Movicel Telecomunicacoes, which is also privately owned. The move comes as Lourenco seeks to distance Angola fr...

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