Telecom Services Fee and some other points
By: Abdur-Razaq Vahid, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology
As the dear compatriots are in the picture, a 10% telecom fee has been recently levied on the telecom subscribers. As far as the Ministry of Communication and Informatio Technology has inspected the public ideas through virtual networks, TVs and Radios and as well printing media, it has been fortunately found out that majority of the citizens have supported this decision of the National Unity Government leadership, however, they have raised some serious concerns in addition to their support. For examlple, what is the guarantee if each amount of the Afghani that is received as part of the telecom services fee is transferred to the government treasury on a complete and transparent basis? Does the MCIT have any measurments for improvement of the telecom and internet services quality and coverage? Finally, how and for what purpose is the collected money used?
Having considered the questions and concenrs of the citizens, I heavily felt responsible to respond at least some parts of the raised questions through this article, although, the press office and the spokesman of the Ministry have had regular and contiuous contact with the media and have been in attepmt of responding infromation needs and as well the public thoughts.
It should be firstly said for information of the compatriots that the issue of 10% telecom services fee had been specifically approved by the parliament members in the doument for the budget of 1394, which was submitted to the parliament by Ministry of Finance in the Qaws month last year. The Ministy of Finance proposed draft of the telecom service fee law to the Ministry of Justice and then sent the law to Ministry of Communication and Information Technology after it was approved by the government cabinet and promulgated by the President of the country. The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology was assigned as per the telecom fee service law to establish transparent systems for collection of the fee and to carry out precise inspection in respect with collection of each amount Afghani from the subscribers’ account. Further, the role of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology has been defined a more facilitating and inspecting role for this process. Thus, The Ministry of Communication and IT and Ministry of Finance have developed a joint procedure for collection of the telecom services fee in a close collaboration.
The Ministry of Communication and ATRA, based on the article 10 of the telecom service fee law, are responsible to establish an appropriate technical and real-time (Real Time Data Management System) and connect it with the telecom companies in a close collaboration. The practical work of this system has been already commenced. Since it requires a long time to complete and install this system, the leadership of the Ministry of Communication decided to create an alternative system to support the government in regards to precise inspection and report of the telecom companies untill the system is completely installed and made operational. We have luckily had the access to the similar real-time system now as a result of the continuous efforts of the technical team.
We, through this system, can receive and analyze the entire infromation from the telecom companies related to telecom services fee within a regular period of time and can as well provide our copmatriots with the opportunity in order to have an active participation in inspection process for the telecom services fee.
The system is to be soon published and placed on a dynamic website and the citizens can, through this website, assure of their deducted telecom services fee in the system by sending serial number of the scratch card, contact number and also credited amount to 997 short code. It has been agreed to the telecom companies that each should separately record information related to subscribers in the system within a specific period of time on daily basis.
In addition to above measurments, the telecom companies have been obligated as per article 11 of the telecom service fee law to put the inspecion and controling process for their operational center and electronic billing system at the disposal of the technical team of the ATRA auditors. This audit shall be conducted at end of each month on financial reports of the companies. In case any diversity or signs of concealment and corruption are found in the figures and statistics within the documentations as result of the companies’ accounts audit either pre-paid or post-paid, The companies shall be subject to a fine of 20 to 50 million Afghani.
The dear telecom subscribers have also raised compliants and criticisms in relation to quality of service. I should say to my compatriots that the telecom quality of service measuring team of the Inspection and Monitoring Department of the ATRA check and inspect quality of the telecom service in different locations of the country on a regular and contiuous basis as per the provisions of the Telecom Services Regulation Law and terms and conditions set within the licenses issued to the telecom companies. We have done two very effective and new intiatives in regards to quality of service. First, modern equipments have been purchsed for measuring quality of the service.
There were some problems with the telecom companies in the past in respect with qaulity of service. And secondly a procedure for control and measurement of the quality of service has been developed as well, spontaneously; a large number of the technial staff has been trained by assistance of the SFM Global Company. So, the employees are more capable and experienced for carrying out testing and measuring quality of service now. Having deemed these points, I assure my compatriots that quality of service for telecommunication and internet and as well information technology shall gradually wintness a positive change.
Morever, a lot of plans have been made for improvement of the internet quality of serivce. One of the actions is regional connectivity program. Based on this new plan which is termed as (Digital Silky Way) and was shared with the representatives of the region governments and international community in Recca Conference, Ministry of Communication is to slowly get rid of infrastructure dependence with some of the specific countries and to seek alternative ways so that we can have a system at our disposal to use high quality and required internet services from middle asia countries, Russia and Azerbaijan in case problems and breackdown occure within the optical fiber network. It is a pleasure that Afghanistan shall be changed to a regional source of information based on this program and there shall be improvements for price, speed and security of internet and telecommunication too. There are of course similar plans in place with the China country and commitments have been made by that country in regards to establishment of necessary infrastructures.
On the third issue and question, there are questions from citizens as how collected revenue in relation to the telecom services fee is used. Since one of the main functions of the Ministry of Finance is to identify income sources and collection thereof, the apportionment of budget for service and development programs is as well within the authorization of this ministry. As the purpose for collection of the telecom services fee is for the government self-suffeciency on funding development programs and improvement of the services, I assure my compatriots that the received money in regards to collection of the telecom services fee shall be used for their change of life and betterment of the country economic and social status. In other words, the said money shall be used for funding such programs and plans that are to be made and proposed by sectoral ministries.
In short, I can say that the telecom services fee is such money that is received from the people and is used again for betterment of their life. The citizens have supported this plan in general and the Ministry of Communication has planned, tested and operated a rather precise system for transparent collection of the telecom services fee. Once a more complete and real-time and as well a data management system is establised and installed, we shall have more control on all the transactions of the companies.
The leadership of the Minsitry of Communication is committed improving quality of service and inspecting and monitoring quality of the service of the telecom companies on a regular basis, utilizing the technical mechanisms. The telecom companies are subject to fine in case they violate the conditions set within their licenses.
At the end, I express my gratitude to the media and the subscribers and I, as an Afghan citizen, request from my copmatriots to inspect collection process for telecom services fee, using inpecting mechanisms at their disposal so that they assure their money is collected and transferred to the government treasury in an appropriate manner, and this money is later trasnparently used for the basic requirements and priorities of the people.
