The Association of Licensed
Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said that its recent
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Lagos State Government has boosted
due process on taxes and other regulatory issues, ITRealms reports.
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Thursday in Lagos, made this disclosure during the association’s
Extra-ordinary General Meeting and Annual Report and Financial Statements for
the Year 2013, stating that the MOU has paved way for due process in ways and
manners taxes are collected and has also
put a
stop to the incessant closure or outright dismantling of member companies’
infrastructures.
He reiterated that
there is now good working relationship between the association and Lagos State
Government with signing of the MOU. He however refreshed members’ mind on the
case between Lagos State and ALTON in Suit No: FHC/L/CS/517/2006—The Registered
Trustees of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria
& 6 Ors vs Lagos State Government & 4 Ors.
Speaking exclusively to ITRealms, he stated that the trial
ruling was entered in favour of ALTON on the 23RD of February 2007,
and also ALTON won the appeal brought by Lagos State at the Court of Appeal in
the year 2009. These were part of the huddles the association passed through
before the signing of Memorandum of Understanding through the intervention of
the Honourable Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola
Johnson, indicating also that the
Honourable Minister has equally led the
industry stakeholders to signing with some state governments what is called ”The Smart State Initiative
Memorandum of Understanding” and expressed hope that this understanding will
continue with incoming governments.
The Chairman of ALTON
equally thanked member companies for their support in the past years,
without which the association’s modest achievements would not have been
possible, lamenting
to ITREALMS that membership
has reduced to fifteen due to the operating environment amongst other factors.
The Extra-ordinary General Meeting was equally designed to
make public the Report of the Independent Auditor to the Association which
basically stated the income and expenditure profile of the association. The
independent audit firm, Thomas Oyewumi FCA, stated that “In our opinion, the
association has kept proper accounting records and the financial statements are
in agreement with the records in all material respects in the manner required
by the companies and Allied Matters Act, CAP C20 LFN,2004 and in accordance
with the Statement of Accounting Standards issued by the Nigerian Accounting
Standard Board.
Mr. Adebayo, ITRealms gathered, listed
the remaining members of the association to include Airtel Networks,
Communications Network Support Services Ltd (CNSSL), Etisalat, Globacom,
Helios Towers Ltd, Interconnect Clearing House(ICN) , HIS Africa, MTN Nigeria
Telecommunications Ltd, Multi-Links Nigeria Ltd, Smile Communications Ltd,
Spectranet Nigeria, Starcomms Nigeria Ltd, Visafone Nigeria, Vodacom Business
Solutions Ltd, and Zoom Mobile.
Cyriacus Nnaji/ GEE
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