TIA

Given this scenario, Bantay Tubig has already come out with its proposal to the government, calling on them to draw on the entire performance bond immediately and to desist from entering into another deal with Maynilad. This would entail that the Lopez group should pay up its liabilities to the government and guarantee to the performance bond. The Supreme Court decision has given the government a strong leverage to deal decisively with Maynilad with regard to their concession fees. Bantay Tubig also calls on the government to: a) terminate the contract with Maynilad Water Services Inc. and b) blacklist the Lopez group from any water concession in the future (including areas outside Metro Manila).

But these calls do not substantially answer the question that is hanging on the air: how is the west zone going to look like and who will run it? To these questions, Bantay Tubig believes that a public takeover is the answer. Government should intervene by making sure that a public agency should take on the reins and immediately implement a program to revive the west zone to the level of service that it should be providing. This should be done in the immediate even as MWSS is exploring new institutional arrangement(s) for the west zone.

Two other mega-mergers involving US targets exceeded a value of CHF 1 billion: Adecco acquiring Olsten Group and SairGroup buying Dobbs International. In another noteworthy transaction, Keramik Laufen was bought in a public takeover by the Spanish company Roca Radiatores for CHF 450 million.