3 regulatory bodies sign MoU
By Ndinawe Simpelwe
Thu 20 Oct. 2011, 07:50 CAT
THREE regulators have signed a memorandum of understanding to harmonise standard developments and competition in the country. The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority
(ZICTA), Consumer and Competition Protection Commission
(CCPC) and the Zambia Bureau of Standards
(ZABS) signed the MoU in Lusaka on Tuesday.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, ZICTA director general Margaret Chalwe said the MoUs would coordinate and harmonise matters relating to competition in different sectors of the economy.
Chalwe said the MoU between ZICTA and the CCPC would pave way for the creation of a joint working committee that would be acting on the referral of complaints in relation to ICT products and services as well as investigating matters relating to competition enforcement.
"The two regulatory bodies have seen it fit to have in place an
established manner in which they can interact in respect of
investigations on restrictive business practices, abuse of dominant
position of market power and due diligence on mergers and acquisition
transactions taking place in the ICT sector," Chalwe said.
On the MoU with ZABS, Chalwe said it would ensure that the two
institutions avoid regulatory overlaps and duplication of effort.
She said ZICTA would use gazetted mandatory standards to approve
products to be placed on the Zambian market.
"The standards developed should not introduce technical barriers to
trade but must take into account Zambia's trade commitments to
regional and international trade organisations such as SADC, COMESA
and WTO," said Chalwe.
ZABS standards development manager Margaret Lungu said the MoUs would
strengthen the relationships of the three organisations and clarify
the roles of their standards developments.
Lungu said all the products that would be sold on the market would
have to conform to the standards that would be set.
And CCPC executive director Chilufya Sampa said the institutions were
signing the MoU anchored on three key reasons.
Sampa said the MoU would coordinate regulation without frustrating
business through duplication of enforcement, ensure competence and
success and to share resources and expertise.
"The growth of the telecommunications sector has indeed contributed
significantly to the economic growth of the country through the
various investments undertaken and also led to more consumer choice
for mobile products. However, the growth has also led to competition
which may at times lead to conduct that requires regulating," said
Sampa.
Labels: REGULATION, ZABS, ZICTA
Read more...
Kavindele calls on ZICTA to take over Zamtel
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sat 23 Apr. 2011, 04:07 CAT
ENOCH Kavindele says
LAP Green-appointed managers should be removed from running Zamtel and urged ZICTA to appoint new officials in the transition period. And Kavindele has
advised Zamtel managing director Hans Paulsen not to speak on behalf of the government as that amounted “to one attending his own funeral.”
Kavindele, who is former Republican vice-president, said
Zambia risked facing international sanctions if it continued to be seen to be abrogating the United Nation’s Security Council Resolution 1973 of 2011.
“The UN sanctions as they relate to Libya’s assets include 75 per cent of Zamtel which currently is owned by LAP Green,” Kavindele said in an interview. “This means the situation at Zamtel is not as normal as it should be.”
Kavindele also dismissed assertions by transport minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa that the government had enough money to continue to run Zamtel even in the face of the UN sanctions.
“Even as we heard from the minister of transport that there are funds to run the company up to next year…as long as the funds come or associated with Libya, they fall under the sanctions imposed by the UN,” he said. “Instead, ZICTA Zambia Information and CommunicationsTechnology Authority should take over the running of Zamtel in this transition period until the situation in Libya changes, or when the UN reverses its current position.”
Kavindele said the sanctions against LAP Green, which Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his inner circle used to spread political hegemony in Africa and as an investment vehicle for windfall revenues from the oil boom, did not only affect share transfers or payments of dividends from Zamtel.
“It affects everything associated with that 75 per cent,” he said. “It means management put in by LAP Green cannot continue to exist. Those who were put there to serve the interest of LAP Green have to give way, just as it has happened in Uganda and Rwanda.”
Last week, Rwandan took custody of Libyan-owned shares in the Laico Hotel in Kigali and announced the appointment of a professional manager to take over from the Libyan-appointed managers.
Recently, the Bank of Uganda appointed Ugandan managers to run Tropical Africa Bank, one of the companies in Uganda with ties to the Libyan government.
This came as a result of Uganda’s compliance with the relevant UN resolution to freeze the assets of Col Gaddafi.
Western countries, the United Nations and the European Union have frozen assets of the Libyan government and the family of Gaddafi as part of sanctions imposed after Gaddafi launched a crackdown on an uprising against his tyrannical rule.
Kavindele said Zambia currently lacked economic muscle to handle any possible international sanctions that might be imposed as a result of the country hesitating to “properly freeze” Libyan investments in the country.
“We are not like Zimbabwe where with sanctions in place they have continued to exist to some extent,” Kavindele said. “They Zimbabweans are able to survive because of the resilience they learnt during the UDI Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Ian Smith, the spirit of self-reliance which has continued up to now.”
Kavindele said the Zambian economy was too dependent on international community for trade and aid, and could not afford to antagonise the “co-operating partners.”
“We should not be seen to be showing intransigency to the rule of international community because doing so might result in a serious reverse in the gains achieved thus far,” he said.
And Kavindele has advised LAP Green-appointed managers led by Paulsen at Zamtel not to speak on behalf of the government.
“Mr Paulsen must just accept that the situation is beyond him and the Zambian government,” Kavindele said.
“For him, he must accept that he cannot attend his own funeral. Things have changed, and any continued statements from him and LAP Green on behalf of the Zambian government will cause this country untold misery because even if we pretend to announce that we have frozen LAP Green assets but still allow them to run the assets, the UN has mechanism to track the usage of funds from Zamtel.”
Given Lubinda last week revealed that there was “impeccable evidence” that Zamtel was still being run by Libya’s LAP Green managers who are externalizing money despite Zambia freezing LAP Green’s 75 per cent stake in Zamtel.
Lubinda, who is also Patriotic Front Kabwata member of parliament, said there was need to remove LAP Green-appointed top officials in Zamtel to halt further “siphoning” of the money.
Labels: ENOCH KAVINDELE, LAP GREEN, ZAMTEL, ZICTA
Read more...
ZICTA gives five ISP five day ultimatum to renew licenses
By Kombe Chimpinde
Wed 06 Oct. 2010, 17:30 CAT
ZAMBIA Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has temporarily withdrawn its order to five Internet Services Providers (ISPs) to cease operations and has given the affected organisations a five day ultimatum to renew the licenses.
ZICTA director of public relations and consumer, Lotty Kakubo said in a statement that the withdrawal of the order was meant to pave way for further discussions with affected Internet Service Providers (IPS).
“ZICTA would like to inform the public that it has temporarily withdrawn its earlier statement indicating that five Internet Service Providers (IPS) should cease operations effective October 8, 2010 for non renewal of operating license,” Kakubo stated.
“This is to pave way for further discussions with affected Internet Service Providers regarding this matter. The authority has since given the affected ISPs a five day ultimatum in which to remedy the situation.”
Yesterday, ZICTA directed that five ISPs cease their operation by October 8 for non renewal of licenses.
Kakubo named the affected ISPs as Zamnet Communications Systems Limited, Realtime Technology Alliance Limited, trading as Realtime Zambia, Coppernet Solutions Limited, Microlink Technologies, and Pronet Zambia Limited.
Labels: INTERNET, ZICTA
Read more...
Telecommunication cost is high – ZICTA
By Florence Bupe
Fri 26 Feb. 2010, 07:50 CAT
THE Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) has observed that the cost of telecommunication services in the country has continued to be among the highest in the region.
And Chilanga member of parliament Ng’andu Magande has said the
dominance of foreign players in the telecommunications sector has affected its sustainable growth.
Responding to concerns raised by Lukulu East member of parliament Batuke Imenda on the cost of telecommunication services in Zambia during the sitting of the parliamentary committee on communications, transport, works and supply, ZICTA acting executive director Richard Mwanza acknowledged that service tariffs were still very high.
“ZICTA acknowledges that the cost of using ICT information and communication technology services in the country has continued to be high and needs to be regulated,” Mwanza said. “The tariffs being implemented are still unreasonable.”
Mwanza disclosed that plans were underway to engage a consultant to conduct a cost or service survey, which is expected to cost about US $1 million.
He said countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, South Africa and Senegal were performing well in terms of communication service provision because of the willingness by policy makers to institute favourable policies.
Mwanza said the communications and technology sectors had been dominated by a few players, most of whom were foreign backed entities, because they received sound financial support from their countries of origin.
He revealed that most local internet service providers owed the authority huge sums of money in unpaid taxes because they lacked financial support from the government, thereby making their income flow low.
Mwanza urged the government to consider enhancing incentives to local players in the sector, but cautioned that incentives should not be abused but utilised to benefit consumers as well.
And Magande noted that there were too many foreign investors in the telecommunications sector.
“The problem is that in this area, we have too many foreigners and there is a likelihood that money is not staying in the country. There is need to monitor just how much of the money being made is circulating within our economy,” he said.
Magande, who chairs the committee, advised Zambians to enter the communications sector and build a strong capital base to compete favourably with foreign players.
He expressed concern that not many Zambians had shown interest in investing in the sector even when incentives were offered.
“If today we had to allow for tax free importation of technological gadgets, believe me it would not be the Zambians coming forward. We would have foreigners more interested in delivering,” said Magande.
Labels: ITC, MAGANDE, ZICTA
Read more...
My contemptuous words were a response to Rupiah – Kavindele
By Laura Hamusute
Wed 13 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
FORMER vice-president Enoch Kavindele yesterday apologised for putting the Supreme Court into disrepute explaining that he uttered the contemptuous words in response to a statement by President Rupiah Banda in his address to Zamtel employees in Ndola.
This is in a matter before the Supreme Court where Kavindele is facing a charge of contempt of court in relation to a case involving Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) now Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) and Vodacom Zambia.
On December 8, 2009, the court summoned Kavindele pursuant to Order 52/1/23 of the Rules of the Supreme Court to show cause why he should not be cited or punished for contempt. The court instituted contempt proceedings against Kavindele following a story published in The Post of November 5, 2009 written by George Chellah under the headline 'Adhere to tender laws, Kavindele urges Rupiah's sons'
In the article, Kavindele is reported to have said: “I'm particularly upset that the President himself could direct the Supreme Court to rule against me over Vodacom”.
The court had also summoned Chellah to give evidence in the matter and also produce in court the edition of The Post in question.
In the Vodacom matter, the Supreme Court quashed a High Court judgment that ruled that Vodacom Zambia held the fourth national cellular mobile licence for Zambia.
Earlier in the High Court, Vodacom Zambia Ltd - where Kavindele is director - sued CAZ seeking an injunction restraining them from issuing the fourth national cellular mobile licence to any party other than Vodacom.
Yesterday, Kavindele's lawyer Vincent Malambo told the court that his client did not wish to put the court to the trouble of proving the accuracy of the quotation referred to and that because he had conceded to uttering the words in question, there would be no need to call witnesses to prove the accuracy of the article. Malambo said Kavindele did not wish to waste the court's time and that he was ready to show contrition so as to purge the contempt charge.
At this point, the court asked Malambo if what he said meant that his client was pleading guilty to the charge and he responded in the affirmative.
The court then found Kavindele liable for contempt of court and was now given an opportunity to say something as a way of purging the contempt.
In his plea to purge the contempt charge, Kavindele expressed regret at what he said saying he made the statement following a statement by President Banda when he addressed Zamtel employees at a meeting in Ndola.
The story was published in the Times of Zambia of Saturday, July 25, 2009 headlined: 'Zamtel to be privatised' where President Banda is reported to have said: “I have directed that no mobile licences should be issued until after the privatisation of Zamtel.”
Kavindele testified that President Banda was fully aware that the matter of Vodacom Zambia Ltd and CAZ was before the Supreme Court and in his little experience in government, Presidential instructions came in various ways. He explained that the fact that the matter was still being prosecuted before the court, such a statement in his opinion was meant to prejudice the aforementioned case to those who were going to make the decision.
Kavindele told the court that based on that article, he was interviewed by The Post to establish his feelings as chairman of Vodacom Zambia Ltd and he made the statement in dispute in The Post of November 5, 2009. He said he might have made the statement out of anger and disappointment.
Kavindele said he was sorry if by misinterpreting the statement by President Banda in Ndola, he brought the standing of the eminent court into disrepute in the eyes of the members of the public. He hoped that the court would consider the background to the statement he made.
Kavindele reiterated his apologies to the bench and regretted any embarrassment that his statement may have caused them. He said he had regarded himself as a good citizen and he spent a quarter of his life making laws thus supported the judicial process.
Kavindele testified that apart from being a businessman, he was also a politician and in the profession it was easy to read into what another politician says whether correctly or incorrectly.
In mitigation on behalf of his client, Malambo asked the court to consider the background of the statement his client made and that he had not wasted the court's time.
He told the court that his client's statement was ill-advised and his plea clearly showed that his anger was not directed at the court but at his political colleagues.
Malambo said Kavindele did not intend to embarrass, demean or lower the status of the court.
The matter comes up on February 3, 2010 for ruling.
Labels: CAZ, COURTS, ENOCH KAVINDELE, RUPIAH BANDA, VINCENT MALAMBO, VODACOM, ZICTA
Read more...
