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During
the 2004 financial year, the consideration for disposals totalled
£133 million and the profit before tax from disposals totalled
£36 million. This was principally in relation to the disposal
of the groups 7.8% interest in Inmarsat which was sold for
US$118 million (£67 million) realising a profit on disposal
of £32 million.
In
the 2003 financial year a number of non-core investments were
sold. The consideration for the disposals totalled £3,028
million and the profit before taxation from disposals totalled
£1,691 million. This was principally in relation to the
disposal of our 26% interest in Cegetel, a French telecommunications
operator, on 22 January 2003. The total proceeds were £2,603
million, received in cash, and the profit was £1,509 million
before the recognition of an exceptional interest charge of £293
million on closing out fixed interest rate swaps following receipt
of the sale proceeds.
A
major feature of the 2002 financial year was the successful disposal
of many non-core businesses. The consideration for these disposals
totalled £8.0 billion as shown in the table below.
| Disposals |
|
|
Profit
(loss) |
|
| Consideration |
before
tax |
| Year
ended 31 March 2002 |
£m |
£m |
|
|
|
|
| Japan Telecom
and J-Phone Communications |
3,709 |
|
2,358 |
|
| Yell |
1,960 |
|
1,128 |
|
| Airtel |
1,084 |
|
844 |
|
| Maxis Communications
Berhard |
350 |
|
(4 |
) |
| Rogers Wireless
Communications |
267 |
|
(23 |
) |
| BiB |
241 |
|
120 |
|
| Clear Communications |
119 |
|
(126 |
) |
| e-peopleserve |
70 |
|
61 |
|
| Other |
173 |
|
31 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Total |
7,973 |
|
4,389 |
|
|
|
|
|
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BT completed the sale
to Vodafone of its 20% economic interest in Japan Telecom and
its 20% interest in J-Phone Communications on 1 June 2001 and
subsequently its interest in J-Phone group companies. The total
proceeds of sale were £3,709 million received in cash, and
the profit was £2,358 million.
The
sale of Yell, BTs classified advertising directory businesses
in the UK and the USA, was completed on 22 June 2001 for a consideration
of £1,960 million, giving a profit of £1,128 million.
In May 2001, the UK Office of Fair Trading announced that the
price controls over the UK Yellow Pages advertising rates were
to be tightened significantly. The price we achieved for the sale
of Yell, which was announced on 26 May 2001, reflected the impact
of these controls on Yells prospects.
BT
completed the sale of its 18% interest in Airtel, a major Spanish
wireless operator, to Vodafone for £1,084 million on 29
June 2001. The profit of £844 million on the sale compares
with BTs investment in the company of £223 million,
built up during the 1990s.
In
November 2001, BT completed the sale of its 33% interest in Maxis
Communications of Malaysia for £350 million, which broadly
equated with its carrying value. We completed the sale of our
interest in Rogers Wireless to AT&T for £267 million
on 29 June 2001 and recognised a loss of £23 million.
BTs
interest in BiB was diluted in July 2000 when BSkyB gained control
and in May 2001 we agreed to exchange
our residual interest in BiB for tranches of shares in BSkyB.
We received the first tranche of 19 million BSkyB shares with
an initial value of £128 million on 28 June 2001. We were
required to hold 50% of this tranche until May 2002 and recognised
a profit on these shares when they were sold in May 2002. We also
received the second tranche of BSkyB shares with a similar value
in November 2002, and they were sold at that time. The profit
of £120 million recognised in the 2002 financial year relates
to the BSkyB shares which we were permitted to sell on receipt.
In the 2003 financial year a profit on disposal of BSkyB shares
of £131 million was recognised.
In
December 2001, BT completed the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary
company, Clear Communications Limited, which operates a communications
network in New Zealand, for consideration of £119 million.
A loss of £126 million has been recognised on this sale
of which £45 million relates to goodwill taken directly
to reserves before April 1998.
In
February 2002, we completed the sale of our 50% interest in e-peopleserve,
a major human resource outsourcing activity, to our joint-venture
partner, Accenture, for an initial consideration of £50
million. BT is entitled to receive additional payments from an
earn-out arrangement based on e-peopleserves revenues from
customers other than BT and Accenture over the five years to 2007.
These additional earn-out payments will total between £27
million and approximately £167 million. A profit of £61
million on this transaction has been recognised in the 2002 financial
year based on the initial consideration and the discounted value
of the additional minimum payments of £20 million.
In
addition, in the 2002 financial year we recognised an impairment
charge of £347 million in relation to the fixed asset investment
in AT&T Canada, as noted above, and £157 million in
relation to Impsat.
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