Telecom
NCC to Deploy Revenue Assurance Solution to Block Leakages
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will implement the Revenue Assurance Solution (RAS) to monitor revenue generated in a bid to block leaks in its Annual Operating Fee (AOL).
Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice President (EVC) of the NCC, revealed this on Friday in Abuja, during an interactive session with stakeholders on the deployment of RAS in the Nigerian telecom industry.
Speaking about the importance of RAS to the nation’s economy, Danbatta said it would allow the commission to determine how much its licensees generate annually.
He explained that the technological solution would not wait for licensees to submit information to the commission before determining what they must pay as AOL.
“The official burden of deployment will fall on the operators. This project relieves the commission of the initial official burden that will be required for the deployment of the RAS project.
“It will also ensure that the revenue generated by the precise network operators is tracked, analyzed and used for the benefit of the industry. Beyond revenue assurance, when implemented NCC RAS will bring many solutions to the industry,” he said.
He added that the solution would include more effective and improved control and regulation of licensed telecom operators.
The EVC said the commission believed that implementing a proper revenue assurance solution would lend higher levels of integrity and fidelity to AOL’s numbers than are obtainable in the industry.
He said that the RAS would allow the NCC to validate information, records and data supplied to it from time to time, among others.
“This is in addition to plugging possible loopholes and leaks in the revenue calculation and collection processes. AOL is a very important tool in the regulation of the telecommunications industry. In Nigeria, the importance of AOL is well expressed in the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003.
“AOL can be described as the main root of an efficient and effective telecommunications regulatory environment. AOL’s charging and computation mechanisms are of interest and importance both to the regulator and to the operating networks”, he said.
He explained that various efforts had been made to achieve a highly effective administration of AOL, in accordance with the commission’s powers under Section 72 of the NCA Act 2003.
He reported that one of these key efforts includes the preparation of the 2014 Regulation, which is also currently under review.
According to him, some of the main objectives of the AOL Regulations, as provided in Part 1 (2) of the AOL Regulations of 2014, are: “To create and provide a regulatory framework for the effective and efficient administration of the regime of the Annual Operating Tax and all matters related thereto;
“Stipulate the mode and methods of evaluation of the Annual Operating Tax and the modes of payment thereof; specify rules and guiding principles for the administration of the annual operating tax regime.
He also said that the size of the Nigerian telecom industry and the revenue events involving operators, demands an effective, accurate and technology-driven revenue assurance solution that NCC-RAS represents.
He said that proper revenue assurance systems have resulted in increased revenues and plugging of leaks and that modern revenue assurance systems have proven to be equipped with additional capabilities to generate and analyze information beyond that required for revenue calculation. .
“The system is designed to be connected to the systems of licensed telecommunications operators. You’ll have the ability to capture and report billing activities in near real-time for purposes, among others.
“Calculate and secure with a minimum margin of error, if any, the accumulated AOL payable to the NCC,” he said.
He advised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) that might need data not to duplicate efforts but to go to the NCC to obtain it.
“This effort may be relevant for FIRS to pay taxes, there is no need to duplicate this government effort.
“So the essence is to ensure smooth cooperation from all the MDAs that require the kind of data that we will get from this effort. Which is for the calculation of other levies, operating tax levies that are supposed to be paid to the government.
“The benefits of this exercise are very long and that is why the Federal Government attaches great importance to this effort,” he said.
The Nigerian News Agency reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the RAS project through the Design, Fice, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
The transaction received the ICRC Certificate of Compliance in accordance with the Provisions of the ICRC Act 2005 on December 17, 2021.
NAN
Nigeria’s technology company, Globacom, has extended warm felicitations to Nigerians on the occasion of the 2024 Christmas celebrations.
In a goodwill message released in Lagos, Globacom urged Nigerians to embrace the spirit of love and kindness during the festive season, especially in the face of prevailing economic challenges.
The company emphasized the importance of practicing the teachings of Jesus Christ, particularly the virtues of obedience to God and loving one’s neighbor as well.
“Christ taught many virtues including obedience to God and loving one’s neighbour as oneself”, the company said, adding, “Now is the apt time to practise these teachings by sharing with the needy”.
Globacom also encouraged Nigerians to extend the conviviality of Christmas beyond the festive season by fostering love, peace, and harmony, as demonstrated by God through the birth of Jesus Christ.
Assuring its customers of uninterrupted services throughout the Yuletide period and beyond, Globacom urged them to take advantage of its innovative products and services to stay connected and share the memories of the season with loved ones.
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators to settle the long-standing N250bn USSD debt dispute before January 2, 2025.
The CBN and NCC also directed banks to pay the pre-Application Programming Interfaces (API) debt before July 2, 2025.
They also ordered that post-API debts be settled before December 31, 2024.
The directive was issued in a joint cirular titled, “2nd Joint Circular of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Communications Commission on the Resolution of the USSD Debt Issue Between Deposit Money Banks and Mobile Network Operators.”
The circular dated December 20, 2024, was signed by Oladimeji Taiwo, acting director of the Payments System Management Department, CBN, and Chizua Whyte, head of Legal and Regulatory Services, NCC.
The regulators said, “In view of the foregoing, the CBN and the NCC hereby direct DMBs and MNOs as follows: 1. That 60 per cent of all pre-API invoices must be paid as full and final settlement.
“Payment plans (lump sum or installments) must be agreed upon between a concerned DMB and MNO by January 2, 2025. Installments must be based on equal monthly payments, with full payment due by July 2, 2025.
“DMBs must pay 85 per cent of all outstanding invoices issued after the implementation of APIs (i.e., February 2022) by December 31, 2024.
“Similarly, 85 per cent of future invoices must be liquidated within one month of service.”
According to the regulators, the transition to end-user billing will be activated only for DMBs and MNOs that comply with the payment conditions cobtained in the circular.
CBN and the NCC said they would provide further guidance on public enlightenment initiatives related to the transition.
The regulators also directed MNOs to implement the “10-seconds rule” for USSD invoicing.
This implies that any session lasting less than ten seconds will not be billable.
The regulators added, “Failure to comply with the terms outlined in this directive will attract necessary sanctions, ensuring that both DMBs and MNOs uphold their obligations.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a draft regulatory framework aimed at addressing fraud, spam, and other challenges in the Application-to-Person messaging sector.
The telecom regulator made this announcement in a statement.
The proposed framework, which was introduced during a virtual Stakeholders’ Forum, is said to be a key step towards enhancing the sector’s integrity and ensuring a fair, transparent environment for all parties involved.
The draft framework, presented by Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, NCC, who was represented by Chizua Whyte, NCC’s acting head of legal and regulatory services, seeks to regulate the A2P messaging space.
The A2P messaging, used for notifications such as bank alerts, promotional campaigns, and government updates, has become a vital communication tool in Nigeria.
However, the sector faces significant challenges, including consumer protection concerns, fraud, and data privacy issues, as well as an unequal distribution of value within the ecosystem.
“The international A2P messaging space in Nigeria faces gaps that have led to issues such as fraud, spam, and data privacy concerns. These challenges threaten the sustainable growth of this communication tool,” the NCC said.
The proposed framework aims to address these challenges by protecting consumers, promoting fair competition, and holding service providers accountable.
“This forum marks a pivotal step towards addressing these challenges. We are here to engage with all stakeholders—operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers—to refine the framework and ensure it meets the needs of the entire ecosystem.”
The NCC stressed the importance of inclusivity and collaboration in creating an effective regulatory environment.
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