The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it is commitment to deploy a Revenue Assurance Solution (RAS) in the telecommunication sector to ensure a more robust Annual Operating Levy (AOL) administration in the telecom industry.
NCC made the commitment during the industry stakeholder consultative engagement forum, organised by the Commission at its Head Office in Abuja recently.
The RAS application is designed to ensure a linkage with licensed telecommunications operators’ systems and will have the capability of capturing and reporting in near real-time, billing activities by the operators for the purposes, amongst others, of computing and assuring with minimal margin of error, the accruable AOL to NCC from the licensees.
When deployed, the NCC RAS will bring significant solutions to the industry’s challenges, including a more effective and enhanced monitoring and regulation of the licensed telecommunications operators.
Speaking at the event, which was well attended by representatives of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Licensees in the Value-Added Service chain, officials of the Commission and other industry stakeholders, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said AOL would remain the bedrock of an efficient and effective telecommunications regulatory environment.
Danbatta said the event was organised to sensitise industry stakeholders through a conversation on the Commission’s plan to deploy RAS that would instil greater transparency and increased accuracy in the administration of AOL in the sector, as stipulated by the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003.
According to the EVC, since the NCA 2003 came into force and pursuant to Section 72 of the Act, various efforts have been made by the Commission towards achieving an effective AOL administration, including the development of AOL Regulations 2014, which is being reviewed.
According to Danbatta, “The Commission believes that the deployment of appropriate RAS would enhance monitoring and regulatory activities around AOL administration and confer higher levels of integrity and fidelity on the AOL figures obtainable in the industry.”
