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WEEKLY PUBLICATION DEADLINE: 12 pm GMT Sunday. ISSUE NO 488 22nd January 2010 A new telecoms tax epidemic sweeps across Africa : Increases of up to 100% in international calling costsA new telecoms tax epidemic is sweeping across Africa adding to the already high tax levels imposed on operators on the continent. This time the tax is being levied on inbound international calls and will increase their costs by between 20-100%. This will make the cost of doing business with Africa rise significantly in a time of global economic downturn. Worse still, the tax is directly in contravention of the Melbourne Convention that has been signed by the majority of African countries. Isabelle Gross investigates. In an article entitled “New tax on international communications in Cote d’Ivoire – a market in retreat” we reported on the introduction of a new tax on international incoming calls in Cote d’Ivoire. This tax applied to all calls to the country from overseas including direct, transit and roaming calls. The increase in calling charges was CFA20 (0.03 euro cents), an increase of 20% in terminated and transited calls. However, following strong opposition by the Ivorian employers’ organisation UNETEL which took up the cudgels on this issue, the Government seemed to retreat on this issue. According to the Official Journal of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire dated 5 November 2009, a Presidential order n°2009-289 signalled “the suspension of the tax on international telephone interconnection to be charged to companies based in de Côte d’Ivoire initiated by article 54 of the fiscal annex of order n°2008-381 of 18 December 2008 by the Government as part of the budget for 2009.” Telecoms operators breathed a sigh of relief and the Ivorian diaspora could rejoice at not having to pay more to ring their loved ones at home. But for how long? Unfortunately the news is less good for the Gabonese. Gabon’s Government represented by the Ministry of Communication, Post, Telecoms and ICT, introduced a similar tax with order n°359/MCPTNTI/Cab of 24 September 2009, whilst at the same time fixing wholesale termination prices for fixed and mobile calls into Gabon as follows: - 137 francs CFA (US$0.29) a minute for termination to mobile networks - 137 francs CFA (US$0.29) a minute for termination to fixed networks Article 10 of the order specifies that “operators will pay 72 CFA (US$0.15) per minute of this (type of) communication to (the regulator) Artel, which has overall responsibility for collecting the tax and will share revenues between itself and the technical operator of the scheme.” The new tax translates into a 52.5% increase in the wholesale termination price of calls to Gabon. At the very least, this increase goes against the pattern of evolution of calling costs across the rest of world. On 6 January Ghana Press Agency (GNA) reported Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communications announcing that the Government of Ghana wanted to establish this year a centre for the verification of incoming calls. According to GNA, the Minister said: « We estimate that if this is done well government will generate an additional US$50 million per annum (in taxes) from inbound international calls ». According to our sources, the wholesale price of termination of a call to Ghana is likely to go from US8-9 centres to US19 cents a minute, in other words more than a doubling of current prices! So it started in Cote d’Ivoire with a 20% increase and went on to be a 52.5% increase in Gabon before reaching 100%+ in Ghana. To justify this surge in prices, the Governments of the respective countries believe that the establishment of a “verification centre” will put an end to fraud and finish off the grey market. This argument is at best simplistic and short-term for what it will actually do is to encourage the development of alternative routes. Take the example of Gabon where the price of wholesale termination of a local call is 40 FCFA (US$0.09) while that for an incoming international call will be 137 FCFA (US$0.29), more than three times more. This gap is simply an invitation to create grey market routes. In this economic plan, the increase in the price of wholesale terminations for incoming calls will translate into falling numbers of incoming calls and therefore a lowering of the turnover of telecoms companies which in its turn will lead to a fall in tax receipts generated by the sector. For local players in telecoms and those more generally in ICT in the respective companies this tax puts the brakes on the development of activities associated with “hubbing”. At the prices proposed who would want to transit their traffic via Ghana? Furthermore, it threatens the key plank of Ghana’s ICT strategy, its desire to attract BPO outsourcing and call centres. At these prices, why would a multinational choose to outsource its call centre function to the country when others offer cheaper inbound calls? According to Gabriel Solomon, Senior Vice President of the GSM Association with whom we raised the problem: « The particular tax that you highlight, on incoming international calls, is a short term measure to generate cash by governments that will have a very negative impact on that country’s international competitiveness and will lower the amount of foreign direct investment, thus lowering the governments tax base: it is counter productive. The tax will also hit trade flows to and from the country and traders have to cope with a massive hike in transaction costs. We are against such taxes as they harm all stakeholders and we advocate that they be removed immediately. ». Similar points were made to us by the Head of Regulation at Tigo (one of Senegal’s mobile operators) El Hadji Babacar Ba. According to Ba, the introduction of such a tax would have disastrous consequences for telecommunications in Senegal. But nothing is certain about how things may yet turn out. That said, the denial by regulator ARTP following an article on the topic of raising such a tax in Le Populaire of 25 September 2009 shows that something has been going on. Perhaps we should remind both Senegal and Ghana before they set off down this road that they are signatories of a convention that specifically prohibits putting taxes on incoming international calls. This is the Melbourne Convention of the ITU of 1988. The Melbourne Convention which has been signed by a majority of African countries is an agreement which comprises of a Regulation of International Telecommunications which stipulates in article 6 « Charging and Accounting», paragraph 1.3 « Where, in accordance with the national law of a country, a fiscal tax is levied on collection charges for international telecommunication services, this tax shall normally be collected only in respect of international services billed to customers in that country, unless other arrangements are made to meet special circumstances. » It clearly repeats that the new tax on incoming international calls will be paid in the country of origin and therefore these taxes are in direct violation of the rules defined by the Regulation of International Telecommunications signed by all parties to the Melbourne Convention. In their submission to roll back this new tax on incoming international calls, the Gabonese mobile operators underlined that:”the annex of the fourth protocol of the Agreement on the Sale of Services, the underlying agreement on telecommunications negotiated by the WTO in February 1997, which came into force on the 1st of January 1998, the distribution of taxes such as national interconnection rates should tend towards (being based on) the costs”. “In other words, the distribution of taxes should not be higher than the local interconnection rates (taking into account the additional cost of a minimum international segment). In the light of these two articles, it is clear that no tax must be applied to incoming international traffic.” If the regulator Artel and the Ministry of Communication, Post, Telecommunications and ICT do not reconsider their decision, the only recourse open to operators would be the tribunal of appeal, a lengthy process during which the tax would continue to be applied. With a growing number of African countries contemplating putting in place such a tax, it is becoming almost a tax epidemic across the continent. Introduction by one or more countries will stimulate others to do the same. To combat this infection, it’s necessary to both treat the patient and put in place measures to avoid the contagion. In this context, we would encourage operators and their representative bodies to look at what COFTEL (conférence des opérateurs et fournisseurs des télécommunications) has done. In November last year it asked UEMOA to make the Heads of State of UEMOA countries aware that they should not embark on this policy which would have negative economic consequences. As the saying goes:”Too much tax kills taxes.”
Congo-Brazzaville issues a fourth mobile licenceAccording to Reuters, the Republic of Congo has awarded a fourth mobile network operator licence to Equateur Telecom Congo (ETC), a subsidiary of Bahrain-based telecommunications provider Bintel. ETC will join Zain Congo, MTN Congo and Warid Congo in the country’s mobile sector after negotiations lasting several months culminated in the award of the GSM concession. Thierry Moungalla, Congo’s minister of telecommunications, said of the development: ‘The arrival of this new operator is part of the development of this sector [and] will create jobs... This new business will help develop our economy.’ Bintel’s director of international affairs, Dr Abdallah Tourbah, noted: ‘It is a stable country both politically and economically. We are confident [in] the business climate. The market is very dynamic and we have great experience in this area.’ No financial details of the licence provision have been disclosed. According to TeleGeography's GlobalComms database, Bintel was registered in Jebel Ali in Dubai in 2007, but is headquartered in Manama, Bahrain. The group launched commercial mobile services in Gabon in October 2009 via USAN Gabon (Azur), whilst it previously launched GSM networks in Somaliland (a republic which has yet to receive international recognition) in mid-2008 and the Central African Republic in mid-2007. The Middle Eastern firm has allocated a total of USD250 million over the next two years to expand its networks and enter more African markets. (Source: Telegeography) MTN Predicts Challenging But Promising Year for Telecoms in NigeriaThe Chief Executive Officer of MTN Nigeria, Ahmad Farroukh has predicted a challenging, yet very promising year for operators and users of telecommunications services in Nigeria Farroukh made the forecast on the second day of the Economist magazine-organised CEO Agenda Nigeria, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island , Lagos , recently. Farroukh was one of the three panellists, including the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Ernest Ndukwe, who discussed the topic, "Benefitting from Innovation: Increasing Connectivity", at the conference co-sponsored by MTN. "We are looking forward to exciting challenges; in spite of the challenges, the year holds promising prospects, mainly on account of a number of interesting developments that will be taking place in the telecommunications sector in the course of the year," Farroukh told a gathering of top officials of companies drawn from within and outside the country. The MTN CEO said access to funds became more difficult in the country in the preceding year in the wake of the reform in the banking sector, adding that the trend was expected to continue in the New Year, putting pressure on operators and their partners. Farroukh said in spite of this, operators would need to take service further to more Nigerians, build more cell sites and maintain satisfactory quality of service. "We need to change the way we do business, the way we relate with our partners, even the way we build our sites. We need to deliver service more cost-effectively in 2010," he said. Farroukh said that another exciting challenge of the New Year is the SIM registration exercise that is billed to commence in March. According to him, while this may slow down service uptake, the exercise would hold the prospect of ultimately empowering operators to serve their customers better. "With SIM registration, operators will be able to know their customers better. We will know with more exactitude the demographic distribution of our customers. That will help us to plan better and serve them better," he said, adding that it will aid the implementation of the much expected mobile money, for instance. The MTN CEO said at least two major submarine fibre optic cables would land in Nigeria in the course of the year, ushering in unprecedented number of opportunities in the sector. "The cables will bring big opportunities for operators and subscribers. It will be possible to provide quality, reliable data services, without the present bandwidth restrictions," he said, concluding, "so, in essence, we will still witness growth in 2010". (Source: Daily Independent) Cameroon: National fibre backbone project will meet deadline, says CamtelOfficials of Cameroonian incumbent Camtel announced that work is progressing on the national fibre backbone and that the 18-month deadline given the project will be met. According to the Chief of Cabinet of the General Manager, Marcellin Tsaam Gah, who sat in for the General Manager, David Nkoto Emane, 2010 represents a a key year for Camtel. Describing 2010 as, "L'année des chantiers", Marcellin Tsaam Gah said Camtel will leave nothing to chance to ensure that the project is well executed so as to boost telecommunications in the country. He said it will also mark an end to the numerous problems of telecommunications in the country. The project was launched on December 22, 2009 through the laying of the foundation stone in Kye-Ossi, Ntem Valley of the South Region by the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Jean Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam. Upon completion of the 3,200 kilometre project, the country's ten regions will be interconnected by network, universities, enterprises and companies, 72 localities and technical points will be connected to the network while there will be high internet bandwidth in 16 places across the country. (Source: Cameroon Tribune) GSM Association launches Save and Rescue scheme with operators and vendors for Lake VictoriaThe GSM Association including Zain and Ericsson have launched a joint initiative that will enable emergency rescue efforts in Lake Victoria covering three of the East Africa countries; Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. The Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) has received the Mobile Positioning System that will facilitate search and rescues, fleet movement and tracking. With the state-of-the-art facility, emergency authorities will receive mobile signals and then relay to the Rescues Coordination Center for immediate action. The joint effort by the three telecommunication entities will save lives and bring development across the East Africa region. Recent reports show that between 1990 and 2008, more than 1,190 people died in the Lakes in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. In 2006 alone 100 people died in separate accidents on Lake Victoria. Extending the mobile network coverage throughout the Lake and the establishment of boat rescue services to promote safety and security has been the priority. The coverage now allows for communication and SMS exchange to and from phones across a much wider area, 80 percent of the total fishing zones. Lake Victoria water is shared by the three water states of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Tanzania is having the largest share of 54 percent, Uganda 42 percent with Kenya having the smallest portion only 6 percent. The system should help reduce the estimated 5,000 fishing-related deaths each year. Lake Victoria is the second largest lake in the world with nearly 200,000 fishermen, 35 million people living along its shores and a fishing fleet of more than 70,000 boats. Zain Africa CEO Mr Chris Gabriel says: “The system will change and improve the social and economic well-being of the people whose livelihoods are dependent on the lake.” He adds that the $20 million investment project demonstrates that governments and the private sector can work together to bring genuine improvement to the lives of communities. The project has seen an extension of Zain’s existing telecoms infrastructure, through the installation of an additional 21 new mobile sites around the lake where the majority of navigation-related accidents – are happening. In conjunction with the Global Humanitarian Forum, 19 Automatic Weather Stations have been installed on the mobile towers. These use the network to provide the national weather bureaus with more accurate regional information. In addition, the number 110 reserved for Lake Victoria Maritime emergency call has been implemented, and the Emergency Command and Control product from Ericsson has been deployed to handle emergency response. (Source: Newstime Africa) In brief:- The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) wants a law to regulate the issuance and sale of mobile phone simcards. The Commission said the law should allow only telephone service providers to register and issue sim card numbers to their subscribers. The commission's official, Patrick Mwesigwa, said the move would curb crime, especially those related to mobile phones. Mwesigwa added that it would also help in tracking down criminals. - Following on from its admission to the Commonwealth as the 54th member in November 2009, the Republic of Rwanda has gained Full Member Country status of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO). The membership will provide the Republic of Rwanda the opportunity to utilise CTO’s existing networks and capabilities to the maximum, with the ability to shape the organisation’s future through its seat at the CTO Council. - Ghana’s Minister of Communications, Haruna Iddrisu, has revealed that plans to implement mobile number portability (MNP) in the country will be put in place ‘soon’, giving subscribers the freedom to switch to a new service provider without losing their existing mobile number. The minister said the move would ‘guarantee quality service and give consumers a choice.’ - Officials at Guine Telecom, Guinea-Bissau’s national fixed line operator, have announced their intention to strike as they seek satisfaction on a claim for payment of twelve months of salary arrears. According to union sources the notice of strike was given to the administration of Guinea Telecom and the State Department of Transportation and Communications. Union officials confirmed they are waiting to be contacted to discuss negotiation arrangements.
International fibre companies want to get new connections to EthiopiaEthiopia has become a market for owners of high bandwidth fibre optic cable systems; at least four foreign companies are aiming to get all or a slice of this vast potential market, reliable sources disclosed. A team of three people from Seacom, the latest visitors in town, arrived last week. They were here to persuade senior officials in the telecom sector that Ethiopia should connect its domestic networks fibre network (believed to have surpassed 10,000km) through Djibouti to an undersea cable system they have brought to the shores of the Red Sea, also known as a cable landing point. Other western companies eyeing Ethiopia as a potential market are SEMEW 3, with cable from Southeast Asia to Europe; TEAM, from Kenya to Dubai; and the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy), with landing points in six countries, from Mtunzini in South Africa to Port Sudan, (9,900km), these sources disclosed. If Ethiopia leases from EASSy, it will be one of the five landlocked countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa to be connected with marine fibre optic cable, which is cheaper and much faster than other options. Ethiopia's lease of marine fibre optic cable from at least three neighbouring countries would dramatically change the way people communicate through data, audio and video. The state owned telecom monopoly, the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC), has been providing data and voice services largely connected via a very expensive and slow satellite connection, operated by Hughes International. There is also a low capacity bandwidth connected via Port Sudan. Not only has this arrangement made the lease of bandwidth very expensive, but also limited the capacity at 895kB per second. "This will be expounded by thousands of [units of] bandwidth at a cost that will be a thousand times cheaper," an industry analyst, with profound knowledge of the telecom sector, told Fortune. Ethiopia has multiple choices, according to this analyst. It could connect to any of the cables owned by the contending companies, either through Port Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia or Kenya. And it has a far larger population than any of these countries, thus offering ETC managers the leverage to negotiate better deals. "Indeed, we are negotiating," Amare Amsalu, chief executive officer (CEO) of ETC, told Fortune. "But it is too early to comment on the direction of the negotiations." However, the most potent contender so far is Seacom, with its landing point already installed in Djibouti, reliable sources disclosed. (Source: Addis Fortune) Sasatel Launches High-Speed Internet Service in TanzaniaSasatel has launched WiMax high-speed Internet access for large businesses in Dar es Salaam. The initiative is aimed at enhancing the company's position in the fast-growing digital sector. The company, which started operations last year, said last week that the costs of installing the service and the requisite infrastructure would not be passed on to customers. The elimination of WiMax investment costs has been helped by Sasatel's connection to the Seacom cable. The company said customers, who already have Internet connection and their own local access network (LAN) infrastructure, could as well replace their connection with WiMax without any additional investments. "After launching our EVDO Internet services for small and medium-sized businesses in June last year, we launch WiMax Internet access to cater for Internet needs of Large Businesses and Corporate customers," products director Thomas Andre Molvig noted last week in Dar es Salaam. The statement said the platform from Sasatel will provide large businesses with dedicated bandwidth and unlimited usage at a fixed monthly fee. Its speeds vary from one megabit per second to 10 Mbps. "Such speeds are achieved both uplink and downlink with dedicated bandwidth directly onto the Seacom cable," the statement reads in part. (Source: The Citizen) Cape Verde licenses new Internet and cable television operatorThe Cape Verdean National Communications Agency (ANAC) has granted a license to SGPM to be a new Internet and cable television operator, the PANA news agency reported Wednesday. A source from ANAC, the communications sector regulator for the archipelago, said that Sociedade de Gestão e Promoção de Meios - SGPM Comunicações SA had been authorised to operate in those two areas, and had a deadline of 180 days to begin its activities. The license covers a 10 –year period, and is renewable for a further 10 years at the request of the license-holder. Telecommunications company Cabo Verde Telecom (fixed, mobile and internet communications) which is owned by Portuguese and Cape Verdean shareholders, was the first operator to provide Internet services to the archipelago in 1998. There are currently five national Internet service providers: CV Multimédia, CVWiFi, CABOCOM, MB Investimentos and TELMAX. According to recent figures, at the end of the first half of 2009 the number of Internet users in Cape Verde was 10,750 subscribers in a population of around 500,000 people. Cable television was also launched by CV Telecom in June 2006. CVXTV, a Chinese investment, launched its cable television activities in 2007, using DVB-T technology to broadcast a digital signal that can be captured by an antenna. According to ANAC figures, the number of cable TV subscribers at the end of 2008 was 4,218. (Source: macauhub) In brief:- A SAT-3 cable break has caused international connectivity problems for numerous Internet users in South Africa. According to a SAIX network notice a problem - caused by a major SAT-3 cable break - on the London-Bellville link at 02:51 today caused slow international connectivity. An updated notice from MTN Business informed users that Telkom SA was conducting “major maintenance on the shunt fault on Segment 14 of SAT-3, about 627 km from the ACC Beach Manhole. This maintenance will run from the 20-22 January 2010 and resume again on the 29 January to 01 February 2010 within the maintenance window.” Users were informed that the maintenance will cause intermittent high latency to London UK and Paris for the duration of this maintenance. A break in SAT3 has also been reported in Nigeria by Technology Times. - The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revoked the Internet exchange licences of two exchange providers, Integrated Wireless Technologies Nigeria and Telexchange Services Limited, local news source NEXT reports. Under the terms of the concessions, the companies’ were required to deliver interconnect services and facilities between telecoms operators through the Interconnect Clearing House, as well as measure traffic from one operator to another. However, according to NCC spokesperson Reuben Muoka, the permits were withdrawn because the two companies failed to make use of them. The licences were issued on 1 August 2004 and were due to expire on 31 July 2014. - Internet provider WirelessG is in talks with sub-Saharan airlines to provide wireless Internet access for passengers during flights. The CEO Carel van der Merwe said that he is confident of getting the green light, despite the lack of Civil Aviation Authority approval, and that the service will be available within the next few months.
Nigerian State Appoints Omatek, Three Others as e-Learning PartnersThe Federal Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, has appointed four Information Technology (IT) firms to implement the electronic learning (e-learning) projects of the government as part of the public, private partnership. The companies appointed by the ministry are Omatek Computers, Zinox Technologies, Galaxy Backbone and Calfa. The project partners are to implement both the hardware and software components depending on specialty with regard to the Federal Government's e-learning scheme which leads to the deployment of a healthy content cum curriculum in addition to monitoring and evaluation to ensure continuity and seamless execution. Inaugurating the Policy Coordination and Implementation Committees on e-Learning Initiative, recently, the Hon. Minister of Education Dr. Egwu said the purpose is to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools through the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) while increasing the number of students who are proficient IT users in furtherance to the realization of the roadmap for the Nigerian education sector. He also noted that the Education Roadmap clearly demonstrates a deep understanding of the key issues as hiccups to the Education sector and the e-learning initiative is one of the strategies to be implemented over the next few years as part of efforts to reposition the sector. Speaking on the development, the Group Managing Director, Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki, said the e-learning initiative offers Nigerians the platform to ensure that Information and Communication Technology tools are deployed to schools and even classrooms under a carefully structured e-learning environment equipped with internet connectivity to create a virtual connection between students and teachers; lecturers and students. She also said Omatek would bring to bear on the project its experience and expertise from previous and on-going undertakings, having launched its own e-learning initiative and pioneered Nigeria's first 24-hour solar-powered Light-Emitting Diode (LED) hybrid solution for a secondary school in Igede-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Omatek, she reassured would leverage on its existing e-learning platform to localize the contents, design, build, deploy and maintain a flexible, scalable and comprehensive e-learning solution at all levels including Primary, Post-Primary and Tertiary to further deepen teaching and learning engagement as well as bridge the digital divide that exists between our youths and youths in other parts of the world. Seriki expressed appreciation to the Minister of Education, Dr. Egwu for believing in Omatek, among others. "The project will contribute to the Ministry's broad objectives of improving education through building communities of educators and learners while also developing resources and knowledge through formal education," she said. (Source: Daily Champion) MCA selects IBTCI financial software for Namibia’s poverty projectFreeBalance, a software company that helps governments around the world to leverage robust Government Resource Planning (GRP) technology to accelerate country growth, has been selected to provide Fiscal Agent financial software to Namibia, under the project funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The company announced today that IBTCI, International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. will act as Fiscal Agent to provide financial management services for a poverty reduction grant. The poverty reduction grant will support approved educational, tourism, and agricultural projects as part of the Millennium Challenge Compact for the southern African state. Using FreeBalance financial software, IBTCI, as Fiscal Agent, will diligently oversee all that financial management activities are conducted in strict compliance with MCC and MCA Namibia regulations, the company explained in its announcement. “As a For Profit Social Enterprise software company, FreeBalance is eager to assist MCA Namibia in the goal of poverty reduction,” said Manuel Pietra, President & CEO of FreeBalance. “The MCA Namibia Compact has identified three key areas for development: education, tourism, and agriculture. Strong financial management is required to ensure improvements, especially in the education sector, so that the MCA Namibia goal of ensuring a textbook to learner ratio of 1 to 1," he added. The FreeBalance Financials module will provide a common repository for all financial data, and will enable data audit management and reporting on multiple levels. The FreeBalance Purchasing module will provide an integrated procurement process to manage multi-item requisitions, purchases, and the receiving process, and, the Treasury module will manage cash, investments, debt and banking, the statement further explained. In addition, the Treasury module will harmonise treasury operations across all levels of MCA Namibia as it mitigates fiscal risk. All of these modules were designed specifically for financial management with flexible budget controls and built-in commitment accounting. And, as MCA Namibia is an autonomous institution, these modules will be separate from the government of Namibia's system, the company explained. “We're very pleased to have been selected as Fiscal Agent for MCA Namibia,” said Ajay S. Kalotra, CEO of IBTCI. “The importance of implementing a FreeBalance financial management system that ensures MCC funds are distributed properly to the three key areas of development is critical to the success of the overall MCA Namibia project.” In July 2008, the MCC signed a five-year, $304.5 million Compact with the Government of Namibia to reduce poverty and accelerate economic growth. This Compact aims to improve the quality of education and training for underserved populations, and attempts to capitalise on Namibia’s comparative advantages. (Source: Afrol) Industry fails black IT in South AfricaThe Black IT Forum (BITF) has slated the pace of transformation in the ICT industry, saying black IT companies are losing out due to squabbles over the ICT charter. The forum says delays in the signing off of the ICT charter continue to be about ownership and this has hindered economic transformation. The charter has been dragging on for five years over disputes on the ICT Sector Codes of Good Practice on broad-based black economic empowerment. While the ICT steering committee previously reported that a majority decision had been taken to submit the charter to government and work on the draft had been finalised, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has refused to sign off on the charter. BITF secretary general Motse Mfuleni says the forum will create industry pressure, engage key government departments and increase its influence on the steering committee. “The spirit of the charter and what it seeks to do – there's agreement on that. But you're still going to find that the whole issue is linked to economic transformation – that those who have had the privilege of owning the ICT industry in the country just don't want to let go of it,” says Mfuleni. Mfuleni says there is continued influence of the State IT Agency (Sita) in tender specifications and this hinders black participation. “Part of our beef with Sita has been because they are allowing such a small section of the industry to influence how basic opportunities for black enterprises are dished out,” Mfuleni explains. While past trade and industry minister Mandisi Mpahlwa “lost steam” on empowerment issues, Mfuleni says the BITF is encouraged by current minister Rob Davies. The forum recently took a decision to engage Davies along with the Department of Communications and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), both of which are members of the steering committee. Former BITF president and current member of the steering committee Mthunzi Mdwaba will be tasked with calling for a review process and the forum will also expose companies it feels are resisting and delaying the process, says Mfuleni. The charter has been dogged by delays since June 2003, when the process of drawing up the document started. In May 2005, a “final” document was released, but this process was interrupted by the launch in 2005 of the BEE codes, with which the charter needed to be aligned. The committee has been locked in debates over the sector codes for several years. Since the first final draft in 2005, the committee has signed off on another four “final” drafts. “We can't continue as we are at the moment – where we have a small section of the population controlling the industry as it is. They control things which are basic to give to the black portion of the industry, such as cabling. The amount of greed and lack of co-operation in sharing the cake is unbelievable,” says Mfuleni. The final draft charter will have to be submitted to the DTI for consideration and publication as a sector Code of Good Practice, in terms of Section 9 of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003. The minister will then publish the draft charter in the Government Gazette and allow the public a period of at least 60 days to comment. (Source: ITWeb) In Brief:- Nigeria’s Ocean Bank International has adopted SAP technology for data processing, to create a synergy in all it operations in different branches nationwide. - South Africa’s Teraco’s second data centre has gone live in Isando, Johannesburg. Coming one year after the Cape Town facility went live, the new Johannesburg centre was originally scheduled to open end February 2010 but was brought forward to meet customer demand for a vendor neutral facility that provides real flexibility and choice.
Zimbabwe: Econet Secures US$50 Million LoanEconet Wireless Zimbabwe has secured a US$50million loan from the African Export Import Bank for immediate disbursement to fund its ongoing network expansion programme. The facility is part of a US$200 million funding package which the company has mobilised, including supplier facilities which were announced towards the end of last year. Econet chief executive Douglas Mboweni, who announced the news, said the company was extremely grateful to Afreximbank for their continued support. "Afreximbank has supported Zimbabwean industry through the country's toughest times. Our group is profoundly grateful to them." Mboweni said the Afreximbank loan was part of the funding that would be used to take the network to five million subscribers by the middle of the year. "We are currently sitting on a core capacity of 5.1 million, but we need to install a lot of base stations between now and June to fully realise that capacity in terms of customers." The Econet boss said part of the money had been used to buy equipment for the completion of the 3G network. "I can confirm that we have paid for the full 3G network. We are installing the full system in all the major cities. The small system in Harare will be expanded by a factor of 10, and will be much faster after the expansion," he said. Econet currently has more than three million customers, which represents close to 80 percent of the four million cellphone users in the country, according a recent Government report. The company plans to have five million customers by June this year. Econet last week announced that it was rolling out 200 new base stations within the next two months. The company is also commissioning a new switch at Pockets Hill that would bring Econet's total complement of switches to three, including the two that are in the Willowvale industrial area and Bulawayo. (Source: The Herald) Cellcom’s reviewed bond placement gets the backing of the Central Bank of LiberiaThe Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has backed the business initiative by Cellcom one of the country's leading GSM telephony and internet services provider and has taken steps to ensure that the company's offering of convertible debentures to the Liberian public proceeds successfully. Central Bank Governor Dr. Mills Jones said the initiative by the GSM Company (to share its success with the Liberian public) was a worthy inventiveness, but because the country's capital market was not yet in place, the Bank, as a regulatory body, has collaborated with the company to protect the future interest of both Cellcom and the public. On November 8, 2009 Cellcom announced an offering of 500,000 convertible debentures (otherwise known as shares) to the Liberian public, as a way of sharing its success with the Liberian people, the giant GSM Company's management said. Announced to the public at US$10 per share, the Company's Chief of Operations William Saamoi in December told journalists that the offer was running out. In its Offering, Cellcom advertised interest payment of a minimum of 10% per annum, a tenor of 5 years for its convertible Debentures and, at the election of each Debenture holder, either the conversion of the face value of the Debenture certificate into shares of common stock or the repayment of the principal invested plus any accrued interests. Addressing a joint press briefing with Cellcom executives Monday in Monrovia at the Bank, CBL Governor Dr. Jones said "Cellcom Offering comes at a time when the capital market in Liberia has yet to be developed, including having in place the appropriate regulatory and supervisory regime." He said "the development of a capital market in Liberia has been an interest of the CBL, and the Bank has recently announced the need for avoiding any actions on the part of businesses that have the potential of creating problems that could lead to a loss of confidence of the public in the issuance of shares and/or debt obligations ahead of the establishment of a well functioning capital market." In line with its mandate to ensure the orderly development of financial and capital markets that are responsive to the needs of the national economy, and to safeguard the public trust and interest in relation to financial transactions, Governor Jones noted, the CBL invited Cellcom to review and discuss its Offering for some modifications. "Based on these discussions, Cellcom has committed to make changes intended to enhance the disclosure of information about the company and the nature of the debenture being offered with a view to safeguarding the interest and trust of the public and ensuring orderliness in the process of issuing such financial instruments," the Governor said. Among the changes, according to the Governor, the title of the Investment Guide of Cellcom Offering of Convertible Debenture will be changed from "Private Placement of up to 500,000 Convertible Debentures at US$10 Per Unit Payable in Full upon Application" to read "Placement of up to 500,000 Convertible Debentures at US$10 Per Unit Payable in full upon Application". He said the removal of the word "Private" obligates Cellcom to augment the level of disclosure to the public. Additionally, the disclaimer of Cellcom in reserving the "...right to amend or replace the information at any time and undertakes no obligation to provide the recipient with access to any additional information..." has been changed. Cellcom has committed to now communicate any changes or replacement of information - with appropriate rationale for changes - by communicating, in a reasonable time, through publications in newspapers of general circulation, radio and/or other media. Dr. Jones said in the summary of the terms of the Offering, Cellcom will amend its statement to reflect that "this offer is intended, in part, to enable Liberians to eventually participate in the ownership, control and management of the company". "This should make it clearer to the public that the purchase of these Debentures does not automatically translate into one becoming a 'part-owner' of Cellcom. It is only at the maturity of the Debenture (5 years from now) that an investor may exercise the option of having his or her Debentures converted into shares," the Bank Governor stated. On the fourth change, among others, Cellcom has committed to further clarify that for those investors who want to be paid in full at the maturity date, the company will pay back the Debentures in full on the maturity date, the issue price plus any unpaid accrued interest. For those investors who wish to become shareholders, Cellcom will convert the principal of its Debentures into shares of common stock. "Cellcom commits to the provision of this service after August 30, 2010. In effect, this provision makes it easier for holders of the debentures to be able to convert the debenture to cash through agreed upon transactions with third parties ahead of the five year maturity period," Dr. Jones said of the seven changes. The CBL Governor said though Cellcom has taken the first step into the capital marketbuying and selling capitals it does not give room for other businesses to do like wise, unless they are financially potent and sustainable. In his remark, Mr. Avi Zaidenberg, the Chairman of Board of Directors of Cellcom said the company was grateful to the CBL Chief and other officials of the Bank "for the opportunity provided, over the course of our meaningful engagements, to explore what is really unchartered financial territory in Liberia." He said although the Offering of Convertible Debentures is new to Liberia, "Our engagements have afforded us a chance to act positively and progressively together to consider the evolving possibilities of this growing economy, enhance the public trust and confidence, and to develop appropriate mechanisms to embrace what is a certain future in the conduct of business in Liberia." Zaidenberg indicated that institutions such as the Central Bank of Liberia, and all other regu1ator agencies of the Government, exercising their authorities without fear or favor, will not only provide reassurance for collective quests for increased integrity, orderliness and safeguard of the public trust, but also address concerns about the need for developing and regulating underdeveloped sectors and other complementing aspects of a growing economy. (Source: The Informer) Tanzania: Government Moves to Avert Clash With Mobile Phone Firms on mandatory shares selling on the local SEThe government has moved to forestall a possible clash with mobile telephone companies over a proposed law that would make it mandatory for the firms to sell shares worth billions of shillings to Tanzanians. The proposed Electronic and Postal Communication Act 2009 which is due to be tabled before Parliament later this month requires that shares be floated for sale at the Dar es Salaam stock market after three years of operation. But mobile phone companies operating in the country have vehemently opposed this proposal and some clauses in the Bill. On Thursday this week they petitioned the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) to scrap the idea. Last week the Communication, Science and Technology minister, Prof Peter Msolla, said the government would review the contentious clauses before finally tabling it before Parliament. Msolla, however, said not all of the clauses being questioned will be dropped as some were meant to safeguard public and national interests. He called for understanding from the players during the consultation process. The minister held a closed door meeting most of the morning last week with members of the parliamentary committee on infrastructure development to explain the government's position on some of the opposed clauses. Reporters covering the sessions of the House committees were not allowed into the meeting but during a short briefing Prof Msolla later revealed the ministry was open to consultations and would be revisiting the draft Bill to include amendments. The minister said he understood the concerns raised by the mobile companies and would be discussing them with relevant experts. He said reviews would take into consideration the provisions of other laws such as the one guiding operations by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), the stock market and the Securities Act. During their presentation to the parliamentary committee, the Mobile phone operators said they were opposed to the section requiring mandatory listing because it was unconstitutional and contradicted the Company Act and the Capital Stock Market and Securities Act. The listing clause was included in what could be viewed as attempts by the government to claim a stake in the communication industry whose phenomenal growth has raked in billions of shillings in profits. A sale of shares at the stock market would also attract the ordinary Tanzanians wishing to own shares. Most mobile companies' current shareholders include multinational firms and conglomerations and a few individuals who gained access at the early stages of investment when the sector was still nascent. From a single mobile company slightly a decade ago, Tanzania now boasts not less than seven mobile firms with a subscription of a whooping 15 million customers from a paltry base of 300,000 clients eight years ago. The firms include Vodacom, Zain, Tigo, Sasatel and Zantel. The state utility firm Telecom Tanzania limited has also a mobile service. (Source: The Citizen) Boost for BPO Firms As Subsidy Deal is Extended in KenyaThe government has extended the satellite bandwidth subsidy programme to business process outsourcing firms, aiming to increase their competitiveness and shield them from high international connectivity charges. The subsidy, funded by the World Bank to the tune of $7 million, was to be granted to the operators to enable them compete effectively with their peers in other parts of the world who enjoy lower internet costs and who they intend to compete with globally. The period of issuance was pegged on two factors, arrival of the undersea fibre optic cable which was anticipated to bring prices to as low as $200 per megabyte per month from between Sh6,000 and Sh7,500 per month charged by the satellite operators, and the exhaustion of the funds, whichever came first. Five months since the arrival of the cables, operators have failed to lower prices significantly citing various reasons including inability to recoup their investment on the projects. The Kenya ICT Board, the state corporation charged with developing and promoting the BPO sector, has extended the deadline for bandwidth capacity support to the industry. Paul Kukubo, the CEO Kenya ICT Board, says increasing the country's competitiveness in the global BPO sphere is vital for the growth of the industry. "With the fibre optic cables now in place, Kenya has become a significant competitor in the global BPO space," said Kukubo. "We expect the cost of internet connectivity to drop significantly. But this will take some time. This extension of bandwidth capacity support will help the industry reduce operating costs and thus increase global competitiveness in the short term." The board has, however, maintained the same criteria it used in evaluating BPO firms and which locked out a number of operators who were interested in the subsidy but could not qualify. The sector has more than 48 operators but less than 10 qualified in the first phase, including Kencall, Kentech Data Call Center Africa , Beeline BPO and Call Center. The first phase of capacity support ran from July 1 2007 to February 2009. During the time, $508,937.29 out of a budgeted of $7 million was disbursed. It is predicted that the extension of this support will significantly increase the uptake of the subsidy by industry players and give the industry the necessary boost to grow and be able to compete on a global scale. This subsidy will be extended from March 1, 2009 to March 31 2010. During the period, operators will be reimbursed the amount spent on satellite bandwidth. This is the final extension in response to the ICT Board's request, on behalf of the industry, with the aim of mitigating the high prices of internet access in the country. Eligibility for the bandwidth capacity support is open to all BPO operators in Kenya who currently offer outsourcing services. The Kenya ICT Board will audit the companies and oversee the disbursement of the funds to the BPO operators. The criteria and procedure for bandwidth capacity disbursement is as follows. BPO companies will be required to register with the Kenya ICT Board as BPO operators by completing a registration form available at Kenya ICT Board offices then sign a "BPO Capacity Purchase Scheme MOU Agreement" with the Kenya ICT Board. It's after this that an audit and verification of the company's capacity and viability will be carried out. Upon approval, the capacity support will be provided. (Source: Business Daily) In brief:- Telkom South Africa has escalated its bid for a 49 percent stake in Zimbabwe's state-owned TelOne, with sources indicating that the South African fixed line operator has held high-level discussions in Zimbabwe for a possible acquisition. Telkom's attempt comes eight years after government backtracked on the parastatal's privatisation in 2002, after initially short-listing four companies for the acquisition of a 30 percent stake in the firm. - MTN Ghana invested US$448 million in infrastructure and new technology in 2009, Ms. Mawuena Adjo Dumor, Corporate Service Executive, told the GNA on Friday. Out of the amount, US$228 million went into infrastructure, comprising of cell sites, fibre optics and implementation of co-location agreements with others, and 220 million dollars was spent on new technology, including 3.5G, Mobile Money, Mobile Television and others. "We spent US$200 million on cell sites alone, US$25 million to lay 98 per cent of our initial fibre optics target last year and three million dollars to implement about 100 out of 150 co-location agreements with other operators," she said. Telecoms, Rates, Offers and Coverage (briefs)- Tunisia’s national incumbent Tunisie has recently launched its new offer, "Segounda» a one-second billing system. For any call made on the local landline and GSM network, Tunisie Telecom charges 5 millimes per second, instead of a set per minute billing rate used before. - Vodafone Ghana has launched a new advertising campaign that emphasizes the Vodafone network as the network that places quality at the forefront of its operations. It is based on three themes: "Instant Connection", "Uninterrupted Calls" and "Crystal Clear Sound". - SMS-based mobile payment service ‘Splash’, which was deployed by Sierra Leone’s wireless operators in September 2009, has signed up 12,000 subscribers since launch, local daily Awareness Times reports. According to Splash’s director, Sheka Forna, the service is now also available nationwide. - During 2009, MTC Namibia customers have sent 116 million Call Me Requests or in other words almost 100 Call-Me-Requests per customer over the year. The service, launched in May 2008, is a USSD* based service whereby a customer can send a USSD message which results in a third party receiving an SMS request to call that person back. The Call-Me-Request is free to MTC customers, but is limited to 5 free Call-Me-Requests per subscriber per day. No airtime balance is required when a subscriber requests another MTC subscriber to return your call by typing *150*cell no# send. - Algeria’s Minister of Post and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) announced that mobile telephony subscribers rate in Algeria represented 83% of the total population estimated at 34.8 million people, according to the fifth population and housing census (2008). 26 to 27 million Algerians are subscribed to one of the three mobile telephony networks existing in Algeria (Djezzy, Mobilis and Nedjma). - Angola’s largest mobile telecommunications operator Unitel has expanded its network coverage to a further 11 municipal areas in the country, by installing new network stations in different provinces, the operator said in a statement published in Luanda. With its consolidated leadership of the Angolan mobile telecommunications market, Unitel recently reached a total of 5.5 million customers.
Website launched to share SME success stories in AfricaIn any economy, a vibrant SME sector is essential for sustainable job creation, poverty reduction and private sector development. It plays a catalytic role in the development of any country. All accept that poverty-elimination in Africa can only come about through investment-driven economic growth. The key to sustainable economic development is the strength, health and competitiveness of small businesses. Africa needs more entrepreneurs which mean more enterprises, and more enterprises will mean more jobs. In an attempt to help facilitate a further development Futureafrica have established a blog on www.futureafrica.eu for sharing SME success stories that already exists across Africa. Futureafrica's web site and blogs are visited by thousands of people every week, with this new initiative the hope is that we through this knowledge management tool can help an increase in innovation and start up of new businesses. We invite all small and medium sized businesses across Africa to share their success stories so far with our readers for the benefit of many. All you do is to forward your story in no more than 500 words directly to lars.stork@futureafrica.eu using word document format. Every month we will select the story that we believe would benefit a further development of the SME sector in Africa and other emerging markets. A symbolic price of US$ 200 will be awarded every month to the story of the month. Futureafrica will in addition liaise with institutions such as the IFC who together with Fututureafrica can assist turning the idea into reality. A project of the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, the SME Toolkit offers free business management information and training for small businesses / small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on accounting and finance, business planning, human resources (HR), marketing and sales, operations, and information technology (IT). The SME Toolkit offers a wide range of how-to articles, business forms, free business software, online training, self-assessment exercises, quizzes, and resources to help entrepreneurs, business owners, and managers in emerging markets and developing countries start, finance, formalize, and grow their businesses. Please contact Futureafrica on the web site: www.futureafrica.eu for more information. Kenyan Bank Unlocks E-Commerce With Online Payment PortalKenya Wednesday made a big leap into the world of electronic commerce with the conclusion of a deal for an online payment portal that allows consumers to buy goods from the internet in local currency using credit and debit cards. I&M Bank unveiled plans to establish the electronic payment platform in partnership with the global financial services provider Visa card, removing one of the major obstacles to the growth of e-commerce in the country. The e-payment portal is the first in East Africa and is expected to relieve recipients of online payments of the trouble of engaging offshore electronic gateways to receive money. Besides raising the cost of online transactions, use of offshore gateways to settle payments made locally also means the businesses cannot immediately receive the cash and often incur heavy losses in the event of exchange rate fluctuations. It also forces local consumers to make special arrangements to pay for goods online - a process that has proved more time consuming than walking to a shop for a simple cash transaction. Millions of Kenyan consumers have instead turned to the use of mobile money in the consumer goods market, opening a robust revenue stream for companies such as Safaricom and Zain. Jump-starting electronic commerce has been a niggling issue for financial and internet service providers, a challenge that has inspired innovation and the introduction of new products. Analysts said last year's enactment of the Kenya Communications Act, which allowed e-commerce, has become the main driver of growth in the sub-sector. Local financial institutions have been reluctant to establish electronic payment gateways curbing the growth of e-commerce in the country and giving Kenya the distintion of having one of the lowest levels of electronic transactions in the world. Low uptake of e-commerce in the country is also thought to be a stumbling block to growth in key sectors such as tourism, where the internet is the main platform for transactions. I&M launched the electronic payment gateway after it acquired an e-commerce licence from Visa International, making it the first bank in Eastern Africa to offer the service. Apart from removing the many bottlenecks that have prevented Kenyan consumers from buying goods through the internet, availability of a local electronic payment gateway should help e-commerce merchants such as airlines, tour and travel companies, and utility service providers expand their sales globally at significantly reduced transaction costs. Mr Arun Mathur, the chief executive of I&M Bank, said the gateway opens yet another business opportunity for web site developers to earn additional revenue by helping potential online traders establish online platforms that can use I&M's system to receive payments. "Many of these traders have been looking for ways of using technologies to expand their businesses but have been constrained by the scarcity and high cost of online payment gateways," he said. I&M did not, however, give details on its charges but promised they would be much lower than those levied by offshore service providers. Users of the system will have to open a payment and settlement account with I&M Bank or opt for transfer services. Initially, the service is expected to become an attractive proposition for the four million credit and debit card holders tying its growth to increased use of plastic money in Kenya. Kenyan merchants have lost billions of shillings worth of business deals in the global market because of their inability to accept online payments. Electronic commerce is expected to get a further boost beginning later this year when the government is expected to launch a five-year plan that aims to place the public sector on an online transactions mode. The plan is expected to begin with the establishment of an electronic market for public procurement that will see government departments and state firms buy goods and services online. In the private sector, e-commerce is particularly expected to benefit industries that depend on foreign supplies such as cars and tourism. "The fact that most used car dealers are based abroad offers providers of e-payment solutions a huge opportunity for growth," said Dr Bitange Ndemo, the Information permanent secretary. Kenya is a major importer of Japanese used cars, taking in 30,000 units in the first nine months of 2009 according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. In tourism, the application of the technology has enabled the players to offer new and flexible services that are cost- competitive and convenient to consumers such as on-line booking of airline tickets, hotels and transfer services. Gerson Musimi, the managing director of Tamarind Group, said that although the company has been using the internet to market its services, it could not offer complete e-commerce solutions because of lack of a local electronic payment system. Online sales have been one of the few sectors that recorded growth last year as the world sunk into a recession. Travel is the number one selling commodity online that generates more than $110 billion annually in sales said e-tourism Africa chief executive Damian Cook. The launch of two undersea fibre optic cables in Kenya last year has boosted e-commerce through increased broadband capacity and greater online access at reduced costs. Some of the companies that are now offering e-commerce are Mamamikes. Kalahari, Vuma an online Kenyan based business selling music by local Kenyan artists and a number of hospitality providers. (Source: Business Daily)
PeopleClickatell, leader in high-value enterprise messaging, announced that Len Pienaar, former CEO of FNB’s M-Commerce division, joins Clickatell to strengthen the Company’s management team and financial services market position. Kenyan blogger Rebecaa Wanjiku (wanjiku.co.ke ) has been nominated for the Bloggies 2010 Award. She blogs on Africa internet and technology issues. People can vote for those nominated at http://2010.bloggies.com/ EventsTELECOMFINANCE 2010 26th – 27th January 2010, Renaissance Chancery Court Hotel, London TelecomFinance 2010 will bring together the key individuals and companies that will shape the telecoms industry in what is set to be another challenging year ahead. After a subdued year of deal activity the panel sessions will explore the changing focus in global M&A, the hottest regions for deals and fresh ideas on operational efficiency and maximising new technologies. Don't miss this opportunity to network, share knowledge and do business with operators, financiers and dealmakers from across the global telecom finance community. For further information please visit www.telecomfinance.com/2010 2010 EURO-AFRICA COOPERATION FORUM IN ICT RESEARCH 3rd February 2010, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2010 Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum in ICT Research The event is being organised by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) funded EUROAFRICA-ICT project and is supported by the African Union Commission Human Resources and Science and Technology (AUC-HRST) department and the European Commission. The forum will bring together sub-Saharan Africa and European organisations for an interactive and participative event whose objectives include: - Reflecting on progress made and lessons learnt on ICT research and development in Africa and its contribution to economic growth, improved quality of life and efficient service delivery; - Enhancing the development of Euro-Africa collaborative ICT research projects and identifying potential partners; - Networking with key stakeholders in the field (private/public); - Highlighting opportunities for African participation in FP7 projects and results from successful EU-African FP7 cooperation projects and EU-African public-private partnerships For further information, please visit: http://www.euroafrica-ict.org/forum2.php MOBILE WEB EAST AFRICA Harnessing the potential of the internet and applications on mobile devices 3rd & 4th February 2010, The Continental Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya Following the unrivalled success of Mobile Web Africa, the most progressive and innovative mobile focused event in Africa is now moving to East Africa. With contributions and support confirmed from a host of the leading individuals and organisations Mobile Web East Africa is promising to be a superb two day conference. If the evolution of one of the most important technological advances of the 21st century is of interest to you then attending this event, which features an interactive roundtable seating format, is a fantastic opportunity. For information visit the event website: www.mobileeastafrica.com or contact the organiser All Amber on: info@allamber.co.uk AITEC BANKING & MOBILE MONEY COMESA 24-25 February 2010, Kenya International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya Technology presents great opportunities for the financial sector to extend reach, improve service and reduce costs. However, in the drive to implement the very best that technology vendors have to offer, the focal point of the banking process is often forgotten – the customer. AITEC Banking & Mobile Money COMESA 2010 will focus on the customer experience in relation to all technology implementation and services, challenging suppliers and bankers alike to evaluate their systems in the light of customer needs and preferences. For further information on the conference visit AITEC’s website http://www.aitecafrica.com/event/view/45 SECOND GLOBAL CONFERENCE MICROFINANCE AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES 10-11 March 2010, Marrakech, Morocco New technology represents a key driver for the evolution of the microfinance sector: its use could result in doubling the number of microentrepreneurs, beneficiaries of microfinance, to 300 million worldwide. Moreover, in Morocco the microfinance market already appears promising for providers of technology solutions attracted to the sector. In this context, PlaNet Finance is co-organising with the Banque Populaire Group and Sogeti the 2nd international conference on the theme “Which models are best placed to increase access to financial services for the unbanked? For further information visit www.mfntsummit2010.com 4th ANNUAL E-GOV AFRICA FORUM 2010 23-25 March 2010, Maputo, Mozambique At a time when ICTs are defining the way the world lives and conducts business, it is important for African governments to evolve themselves to meet the demands of changing trends in order to deliver effective services and to improve the quality of life of their citizenry. This also requires the formation of Public Private Peoples Partnerships to be geared towards achieving developmental goals through the application of ICTs to governance (e-governance/e-government), electoral processes (e-democracy), food and nutrition (e-agriculture), health delivery (e-health/telemedicine), learning and capacity development (e-education) and trade (e-commerce), among others. For further information on the conference visit the CTO’s website AITEC BANKING & MOBILE MONEY WEST AFRICA 11-12 May 2010, Lagos, Nigeria Technology presents great opportunities for the financial sector to extend reach, improve service and reduce costs. However, in the drive to implement the very best that technology vendors have to offer, the focal point of the banking process is often forgotten – the customer. AITEC Banking & Mobile Money West Africa 2010 will therefore focus on the customer experience in relation to all technology implementation and services, challenging suppliers and bankers alike to evaluate their systems in the light of customer needs and preferences. For further information on the conference visit AITEC’s website http://www.aitecafrica.com/event/view/46 Jobs and OpportunitiesEricsson Senior Pstn Support Engineer The client is requesting the services of a Senior PSTN Support Engineer to join their project. To be considered for this position candidates must have experience with Troubleshooting/Operations and Maintenance and Support of the following network nodes: -AXE Enabler 1 -OPAX EXchange -OTN V 8.1 and XMATE R10.0. To be considered for this position please ensure your CV states clearly your experience with the above technologies and submit to Phil Jones for an interview and full details of the role. For further information or to apply click on the following link http://www.cellular-news.com/recruitment/list_job.php?uid=11086 ContractsRural Credit Finance and Neptune Software – Uganda Rural Credit Finance (RUCREF), a local micro-finance firm, has sealed a sh450m deal with Neptune Software Uganda to integrate orbit banking. “This technology will enable customers to enjoy SMS and e-banking. It will also network all our branches in Bukesa, Kireka, Wobulenzi and Ngoma," Moses Kasasa, the general manager, said in an interview. With the investment, the institution expects to raise the loan portfolio to sh2b in 2010, from sh475m in 2006 and the clientele base to 20,000 by 2013, from the current 6,200.
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