Page 83 - SAMENA Trends - October 2021
P. 83

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES  SAMENA TRENDS

        NCC, Other  Regulators  Move to  Combat  E-Fraud,  Standardize Regional

        Roaming Tariffs


                                                                                 best global  practices.  “I am  very  pleased
                                                                                 to  see the excellent collaboration  and
                                                                                 the sharing of workload between  the
                                                                                 telecommunications  body and  personnel
                                                                                 within ECOWAS and WATRA. Their
                                                                                 roles  have become  complementary and
                                                                                 mutually reinforcing-policies  legislative
                                                                                 frameworks that have been  designed  at
                                                                                 the ECOWAS level, while WATRA does the
                                                                                 follow-up  work of information-sharing,
                                                                                 dialogue  and learning dispersal amongst
                                                                                 regulatory  authorities. It  is  indeed
                                                                                 becoming  a well-articulated  symphony,”
        The Nigerian Communications Commission   thus poorly recorded. Therefore, digitizing   he added. Earlier in his welcome address,
        (NCC) and other telecoms regulators under   this trade through employing many forms   the Executive Secretary  of WATRA, Aliyu
        the auspices of West  African Telecoms   of  electronic  payments  is  a  significant   Aboki, emphasized the value of a trusted
        Regulators  Assembly (WATRA) are set   step towards formalizing, governing  and   digital economy to any nation. He cited a
        to develop  technical  and regulatory   boosting  intra-ECOWAS trade activities.   study by Accenture, which concludes that
        modalities aimed at combating rising wave   Our  ambitions are  to  formalize  informal   “a trusted digital economy would stimulate
        of electronic  frauds, and standardizing   trade,  including  agricultural  commodities   2.8  per cent  additional growth for major
        regional roaming tariffs in the sub-region.   as well as boosting intra-regional trade and   firms, with the new transactions generated
        This was  the crux of a  two-day  meeting   this requires us to improve collaboration   totaling $5.2 trillion of value creation in the
        organized by  WATRA in  collaboration   on combating electronic fraud,” Danbatta   economy,” hence, the establishment  and
        with  the Economic  Community  of West   said. Danbatta informed the delegates to   operationalization of national and regional
        Africa States (ECOWAS),  which  started   the forum that electronic fraud is not just   anti-fraud committee. Aboki commended
        on October 26, 2021 at Rockview Hotel in   an African or a West African  issue but a   ECOWAS for “allowing this regional sharing
        Abuja. The meeting, which was  attended   global phenomenon. He cited studies that   of the enormous  task  of building  Digital
        by representatives of telecoms regulators   revealed 54 per cent of consumers in the   ECOWAS to work very well through WATRA,
        from  countries  across  West  Africa,   European Union said they are most likely   which  is a regional manifestation of this
        provided  a platform for key participants   to come  across  misleading/deceptive or   collaborative structure”. The WATRA Chief
        and stakeholders to deliberate on building   fraudulent advertisements or offers on the   restated that WATRA, as a mechanism for
        a  unified  market  in  telecommunications   Internet. On the regional roaming service,   regional regulatory collaboration, will work
        services in West Africa, to combat roaming   the WATRA Chairman said the Assembly   in unison and ensure its vision is speedily
        and cyber-related frauds, and achieve the   has the vision of a ‘Digital ECOWAS’ where   executed by making sure that no nation in
        standardization of roaming tariffs among   improved sub-regional roaming regulation   the region is left behind. Speaking at the
        ECOWAS    member-states.  Addressing  can help to  facilitate  an  economic   forum, the Acting Director, Digital Economy
        stakeholders  at the meeting,  Executive   integration  in the region. “Our  citizens,   and  Post,  ECOWAS,  Dr.  Raphael  Koffi,
        Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba   traders and companies  will  trade better   noted  that  while  e-fraud in the provision
        Danbatta, who is also the Chairman  of   when they can use their telephones to call   of communication services has always
        WATRA,  underscored  the  centrality  of   contacts in other  ECOWAS countries and   been  an issue being  collectively  tackled,
        the meeting by  emphasizing  that,  as   when they can use their data subscriptions   variance in termination rates agreed
        businesses  move online,  the fraudsters   at  no  extra  cost  while  travelling  or  doing   in  commercial  roaming  agreements
        are also going digital. Danbatta, who was   business within the region. So, reducing and   has  also  constituted  an  obstacle to
        represented  by  NCC’s  Director, Technical   eventually eliminating the cost of roaming   harmonization of  roaming tariffs  which,
        Standards  and  Network  Integrity,  Bako   will also be a very significant contribution   he said, collaboration between WATRA and
        Wakil, said, based on this fact and in order to   towards boosting trade within the region.”   ECOWAS is set to achieve. Participants
        give West African citizens and businesses   The EVC expressed satisfaction at the level   at  the event were updated  on the status
        the confidence to fully take advantage of   of collaboration among national regulatory   of the implementation  of the Removal  of
        the enormous benefits of Information and   authorities  in the sub-region  on the one   Surcharges  on  International  Traffic  (SIIT)
        Communications  Technology  (ICT), there   hand; and between WATRA and ECOWAS,   on ECOWAS countries;  establishment
        was  a need  for regulators  to tame and   to  achieve  a  common  goal, on the other   of a  uniform tariff  cap for roaming call
        outpace the fraudsters. “About 75 per cent   hand, describing such synergy as a great   termination in the ECOWAS region, among
        of trade within ECOWAS is informal,  and   indicator of progress and internalization of   others.


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