POTRAZ opens up

The Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) has made an undertaking to uphold the principles of transparency and responsiveness by keeping its doors open to the media on any issue related to the authority's mandate.

The regulatory authority opened up before journalists on its scope of operations and current trends in the information communication sector during a media dialogue held in Kadoma.

POTRAZ Director General, Dr Gift Machengete emphasised the critical role both the media and the regulatory authority have to play in protecting consumers of information communication technology products by empowering them with relevant information on the sector.

He said a blackout on information about issues pertaining to regulations in the postal and telecommunications sector will in itself amount to a failure by POTRAZ to fulfil its mandate.

Dr Machengete also cleared the air on the issue of a US$1 million rescue package advanced to ZIFA last year, saying the money was not given to the soccer governing body as a grant but as a loan.

The authority also assured the nation that measures are being taken to avoid a recurrence of a knock out on the country's liquid fibre network, as was the case late last year when internet connectivity went down.

Mr Nicholas Muzhuzha, the authority's head of technical services, said investigations are still ongoing to find out if indeed the system knock out on three routes on the same day was accidental.

Meanwhile, POTRAZ emphasised that there are more benefits to be accrued if telecommunication service providers share existing infrastructure such as the fibre optic system.

POTRAZ Legal Affairs Head, Mrs Tsistsi Mbanje said there should be no discrimination on interconnection on telecommunication infrastructure.

The POTRAZ media dialogue ended with a tour of a community information centre in Chinhoyi.