Exclusive: Ethiopia to establish new authority to regulate telecommunication service (see copy of the new proclamation)
Addis Abeba, February 04/2019 – In its 14th urgent session held today, the Council of Ministers has reviewed and passed a new proclamation establishing a federal authority to regulate telecommunication services. The proclamation has been referred to the House of People’s Representatives for approval.
The new proclamation, “Communications Service Regulation Proclamation” establishes “an independent, transparent, and accountable regulatory Authority” aimed at achieving “the government’s policy of restructuring the telecommunications market and introducing competition.”
On June 05, 2018, the ruling EPRDF executive committee has decided to open up Ethiopia’s economy both to Ethiopian and foreign investors by making partial or full privatizations of key state owned enterprises including, but not limited to, giant state monopolies such as Ethio-telecom & Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics Service Enterprise.
“The Ethiopian Communications Regulatory Authority” as is referred in the draft proclamation, is tasked, among others, “to implement policies for Communications Services; To regulate tariffs relating to Communications Service in accordance with the provisions of this Proclamation; as well as to license and supervise operators of Communications Service and modify, renew, suspend or revoke licenses.”
The Ethiopian Communications Regulatory Authority will have “Board of Directors, a Director General, a number of Deputy Directors General – as deemed necessary- and necessary staffs.”
It will be “accountable to the Prime Minister.”
The decision by the Council of Ministers was announced shortly after Ethio-telecom announced its earning for the first half of this Ethiopian fiscal year, which stood at 16.71 billion birr. AS
Editor’s Note: Please download the the full version of the Communications Service Regulation Proclamation in pdf.
