Commenting on the report in the Solomon Star about a possible sale of some Our Telekom shares to the Fijian company controlled by the national provident fund of Fiji, Director Markets & Competition of the Solomon Island's Telecommunications Commission, Haggai Arumae, says that it is likely that such a proposal would require formal approval from the Telecommunications Commission.

The Commission's consideration would centre on the potential for any foreclosure of current and future competition in this country.

Mr Arumae noted that the use of the trading name Vodafone by a number of companies in the region, was not an indicator of the underlying local ownership structures however. As with Bmobile-Vodafone in Solomon Islands, the arrangement with the international giant was for access to marketing and technical expertise, rather than corporate control.

Mr Arumae said that if on a close look, there were serious public interest issues in a proposal for the sale of Our Telekom shares, the Commission would hold a public consultation before making its decision.