Business / Companies
Telecel up to date with licence fee payments
05 May 2015 at 11:03hrs | Views
Telecel Zimbabwe says it is up to date with payments for its operating licence despite the sentiments that it has not been compliant.
Two months ago, Government cancelled an agreement with the firm which allowed it to operate without paying the $137,5 million needed to renew its operating licence.
In a statement, the company said it has not skipped a payment since the agreement was made and the next instalment was due next month.
"Telecel is currently in compliance with its obligations as per the Licence Renewal Agreement entered into between Telecel, POTRAZ the regulator and the Government of Zimbabwe as represented by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport and Communications."
"Telecel has honoured all subsequent licence fees payment obligations as per the agreed payment plan and is currently up to date.
The next instalment is due in June of this year. At no time was Telecel unable to pay for its agreed commitments and it is important for the public to know the true facts behind the story," the company said.
The company said it had negotiated with Government to offset the licence fees against the interconnection fees of $12 million it was owed by TelOne and NetOne.
"An agreement was reached and signed on the August 6, 2013. The Agreement entailed payment of an immediate lump sum of $14 million in addition to using debt accrued from the Government telecommunications operators on interconnect fees to offset part of the fees. This debt amounted to $12 million. The balance would be payable in instalments over a period of 7 years," the company said.
The company however said it paid through its bankers but the $6 million paid through Metbank had not been forwarded to Potraz. Potraz last week cancelled the mobile phone operator's licence with effect from April 28, and gave it 30 days to wind up operations and another 60 days to decommission its equipment.
ICT Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said this was because the company had failed to comply with the country's indigenisation laws since 2002 when it started operations in the country.
Dutch-headquartered firm VimpelCom owns 60 percent of Telecel with the remaining 40 percent being controlled by Empowerment Corporation (EC), a local consortium.
Two months ago, Government cancelled an agreement with the firm which allowed it to operate without paying the $137,5 million needed to renew its operating licence.
In a statement, the company said it has not skipped a payment since the agreement was made and the next instalment was due next month.
"Telecel is currently in compliance with its obligations as per the Licence Renewal Agreement entered into between Telecel, POTRAZ the regulator and the Government of Zimbabwe as represented by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport and Communications."
"Telecel has honoured all subsequent licence fees payment obligations as per the agreed payment plan and is currently up to date.
The company said it had negotiated with Government to offset the licence fees against the interconnection fees of $12 million it was owed by TelOne and NetOne.
"An agreement was reached and signed on the August 6, 2013. The Agreement entailed payment of an immediate lump sum of $14 million in addition to using debt accrued from the Government telecommunications operators on interconnect fees to offset part of the fees. This debt amounted to $12 million. The balance would be payable in instalments over a period of 7 years," the company said.
The company however said it paid through its bankers but the $6 million paid through Metbank had not been forwarded to Potraz. Potraz last week cancelled the mobile phone operator's licence with effect from April 28, and gave it 30 days to wind up operations and another 60 days to decommission its equipment.
ICT Postal and Courier Services Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said this was because the company had failed to comply with the country's indigenisation laws since 2002 when it started operations in the country.
Dutch-headquartered firm VimpelCom owns 60 percent of Telecel with the remaining 40 percent being controlled by Empowerment Corporation (EC), a local consortium.
Source - BH24
