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ICCC not fulfilling role, says Somare
Public Enterprise Minister Arthur Somare has slammed ICCC over failing
to implement Government policies regarding competition in mobile
services under the Telecommunications Act.
Mr Somare, during question time in Parliament, said however that the
Government was firmly committed to competition but through an informed
process.
Responding to questions from the Member for Tari Pori James Marabe on
whether there was an ICT policy in place, Mr Somare reiterated the Prime
Minister’s commitment in a statement to Parliament last month.
“Yes, we do have a policy, a policy that is not being implemented by the
instrumentalities of Government, who have quite frankly, failed to
perform their functions under section 19 of the Telecommunications Act.
“Those instrumentalities of Government are simply ICCC and to a certain
extent, I had initial problems with Pangtel.”
Mr Somare said the Government commitment to reform the information and
communication sector in PNG was to ensure social and economic benefits
filtered down to the people and competition was a key part of the recent
National Government ICT reforms.
He said the Government took cue from NEC decision 257 of November 2005,
which essentially facilitated early introduction of competition to the
mobile communication sector, specifically the Government approval to
issue two mobile licences.
He said the form of competition contemplated by that NEC decision was
only for supply of public mobile telecommunication services within PNG.
“Telikom was to retain its current regulatory contract and the issue of
monopoly as the general carrier with all rights reserved for the general
carrier under the Telecommunications Act.”
He said that meant that sole rights were preserved for the supply of
non-mobile services including fix-line networks, satellite and microwave
facilities.
“It was never a Government policy to encroach on these rights.
“These are rights reserved for the general carrier. We have a regulator
who is not complying to implement Government policy and have refused to
comply with Government policy that competition be isolated to public
mobile phones only.
“Telikom is 100% owned by the people of PNG. The issue here is not about
whether competition is allowed or disallowed, the whole debate is that
Government remains firmly committed to competition.”
Morobe Governor Luther Wenge in a supplementary question asked whether
the policy would benefit rural people and urged the Government to stop
making policies and start delivering communication services to the
people.
 
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