Spectrum allocation row: PAC to NTA: Furnish details of officials involved
KATHMANDU, JUL 27 -
The parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to forward the names of officials involved in the assignment of spectrum and issuance of limited mobility licence to telecom operators at different times.
A sub-committee formed under the coordination of Lawmaker Prakash Chandra Lohani six months ago has been investigating possible irregularities in the distribution of 2G and 3G spectrum. The panel has been saying that NTA—the telecom regulator—allocated spectrum without following any standard norms hurting the government’s revenue.
The sub-committee has also directed NTA to come up with the details of six telecom companies’ owners or their ownership structures, spectrum being used and extra occupied by operators and their income details (excluding revenue generated from the international long distance (ILD) service) for the last three years. NTA has also been asked to clarify on what basis it assigned the spectrum to STM Telecom, Nepal Satellite and Smart Telecom without any competition.
“We have given three days to NTA to submit the details,” said Som Bahadur Thapa, secretary of PAC. He said NTA has also been asked to provide details about the latest situation of the service operation by six operators in the country.
Assignment of spectrum to telecom operators has become a much debated issue of late. Huge irregularities have been suspected in allocation of frequency to operators at different times.
Also on Tuesday, the sub-committee meeting sought clarification from the officials of the Ministry of Information and Communications and NTA. Lohani said the sub-committee will come up with a final report which will help the government formulate an equal standard norm on spectrum allocation. “Our study has shown that six telecom operators have acquired spectrum in six different ways and this situation can create a big problem,” he said.
At the meeting, Ananda Raj Khanal, director of NTA, said spectrum can be allocated in four ways—as per the decision of the Radio Frequency Policy Determination Committee or the Ministry of Information and Communications, through the board decision of NTA and directly by the NTA chairman. “Spectrum was allocated at different times in different ways,” he added.
CA members have underscored the need for summoning past and present ministers for investigation. They said irregularities could not have taken place without the involvement of ministers and officials.
With the spectrum distribution issue getting bigger by the day, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has already shown readiness to investigate into the case.
Source: Kantipur
The parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday directed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) to forward the names of officials involved in the assignment of spectrum and issuance of limited mobility licence to telecom operators at different times.
A sub-committee formed under the coordination of Lawmaker Prakash Chandra Lohani six months ago has been investigating possible irregularities in the distribution of 2G and 3G spectrum. The panel has been saying that NTA—the telecom regulator—allocated spectrum without following any standard norms hurting the government’s revenue.
The sub-committee has also directed NTA to come up with the details of six telecom companies’ owners or their ownership structures, spectrum being used and extra occupied by operators and their income details (excluding revenue generated from the international long distance (ILD) service) for the last three years. NTA has also been asked to clarify on what basis it assigned the spectrum to STM Telecom, Nepal Satellite and Smart Telecom without any competition.
“We have given three days to NTA to submit the details,” said Som Bahadur Thapa, secretary of PAC. He said NTA has also been asked to provide details about the latest situation of the service operation by six operators in the country.
Assignment of spectrum to telecom operators has become a much debated issue of late. Huge irregularities have been suspected in allocation of frequency to operators at different times.
Also on Tuesday, the sub-committee meeting sought clarification from the officials of the Ministry of Information and Communications and NTA. Lohani said the sub-committee will come up with a final report which will help the government formulate an equal standard norm on spectrum allocation. “Our study has shown that six telecom operators have acquired spectrum in six different ways and this situation can create a big problem,” he said.
At the meeting, Ananda Raj Khanal, director of NTA, said spectrum can be allocated in four ways—as per the decision of the Radio Frequency Policy Determination Committee or the Ministry of Information and Communications, through the board decision of NTA and directly by the NTA chairman. “Spectrum was allocated at different times in different ways,” he added.
CA members have underscored the need for summoning past and present ministers for investigation. They said irregularities could not have taken place without the involvement of ministers and officials.
With the spectrum distribution issue getting bigger by the day, the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority has already shown readiness to investigate into the case.
Source: Kantipur
