Background on Telefónica del Perú and Its Recent Sale
Telefónica del Perú, a subsidiary of the Spanish parent company in that market, has found itself in a challenging situation due to unpaid taxes. The Peruvian tax authority, Sunat, has seized various properties owned by Telefónica del Perú for an accumulated tax debt amounting to 513.8 million Peruvian soles (approximately 139 million US dollars).
Details of the Tax Debt and Company Response
The company, which was recently sold to Argentine firm Integra Tec, disclosed this situation to the Peruvian Securities Market Superintendence (SMV) through a significant events report. Sunat executed the seizure by registering it on various properties after the seven-business-day grace period for debt payment expired without action.
Telefónica del Perú mentioned that it had submitted a request on February 24 to the National Institute of Competition and Intellectual Property Protection (Indecopi) to participate in an ordinary concursal process aiming to restructure its main debts, including the tax debt in question. However, Indecopi has yet to approve this process.
The company emphasized that operations for its more than 13 million customers in Peru would continue normally, without interruptions or alterations. They clarified that the seizures do not affect Telefónica del Perú’s assets, its viability, or the integrity of ongoing operations during the concursal process.
Telefónica del Perú also highlighted its commitment to advancing with technological improvements, including the deployment of optical fiber across much of the country—already chosen by over a million customers—and modernizing its mobile network, with 800 upgraded base stations out of the planned 5,000 by 2027.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main issue? The Peruvian tax authority, Sunat, has seized Telefónica del Perú’s properties due to an unpaid tax debt of approximately 139 million US dollars.
- Who owns Telefónica del Perú? Telefónica del Perú is a subsidiary of the Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica S.A.
- What is the current status of Telefónica del Perú? The company was recently sold to Argentine firm Integra Tec and is currently dealing with a tax debt while continuing its operations normally.
- How will this situation affect Telefónica del Perú’s customers? The company has assured its more than 13 million customers in Peru that their services will continue without interruptions or alterations.
- What technological improvements is Telefónica del Perú pursuing? The company is focusing on deploying optical fiber across the country and modernizing its mobile network, with plans to upgrade 5,000 base stations by 2027.
