Multiple taxation: NCC, NGF, MDAs tinker on harmonizing thoughts

ITRealms:

 

The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) alongside other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are tinkering on modalities to end multiple taxations, regulations in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry, reports ITRealms.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta gave this indication at the end of meeting with a delegation from ATC Wireless Infrastructure Company of Nigeria (ATC Nigeria) in his office who paid him a courtesy call.

Danbatta said the Commission is also engaging other agencies of government in talks with a view to improving relationship with telecommunications Service Providers who are often the victims of these taxes and multiple regulations.

The EVC said that NCC as a responsible regulatory agency is worried about multiple regulations and taxes because they do not augur well for smooth development of the telecommunications sector “so we have decided to engage all stakeholders especially other government agencies in order to cushion the pains operators go through”.

“The NCC is particularly worried about the indiscriminate way base transceiver stations are sealed by agencies and some State governments and we have appealed to these agencies and the State Governors to show some understanding,” he said.

Stressing that NCC is particularly in talks with them to understand the implications of these actions as they affect quality of service and other sundry matters, including power supply.

He therefore implored ATC Nigeria to ensure regular power supply to the managed base stations in order to make a difference, because government has created an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.

Earlier in his remarks, Chief Executive of ATC Nigeria, Mr. Gordon Porter said his team came to familiarize itself with the NCC management and to “tell you what we do, how we do it and why we do what we do”.

ATC recently acquired 4716 cell sites from Bharti Airtel Nigeria and for the past 146 days it has deployed 1,000 generators and replaced 600 air-condition units.

So far, over $11Million has been invested by the company on these towers with a view to improving quality of service very significantly.

Porter said, ATC has been in constant talks with host communities with a view to improving relations and right-of-way.

Porter explained that although it has a commercial relationship with Airtel, it is interested in working with other operators especially on the issue of co-location adding that ATC hopes to inject about $100Million in the business in the next two years.

The EVC received the visitors in the presence of Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, Chief of Staff to the EVC, Mr. Usman Malah, while Porter led Ms Lucretia Fontaine, Director, Corporate Advisory & International Compliance, Nigeria, Mr. Onyeaghana Oji, Regional Manager, Regulatory and Mr. Dubem Agbakoba, Head, Health, Safety and Environment.

  +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) 

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