By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA — The Annual Operating Levy, AOL, regulations were aimed at creating and providing an effective and efficient administration of an annual operating levy regime which would specify the mode and methods of assessment of AOL, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah has said.

Dr. Juwah who disclosed this while speaking in Abuja during the Public inquiry on the Annual Operating Levy Regulations, AOL, explained that these regulations shall complement the Act and the respective licences issued by the commission and would also remove any ambiguity existing in respect of the AOL and other fees and charges to be paid by operators.

According to him, “the Commission is certain that these Regulations will provide the guiding standards and Principles for a dynamic Annual Operating Levy administration regime in the Nigerian Telecommunications industry and would represent another effort by the commission towards ensuring that the standards in the industry reflect international best practices while taking into consideration our local circumstances,” he said.

Operators who participated in the discussion made their contributions freely and raised issues that would assist the commission in finalizing the regulations.

In his contribution, Mr. Lucky Ubani who represented Airtel stated that the Public inquiry was an improvement but suggested that certain other issues should be included, like the net pay which he said should be reductable.

Others who spoke almost in defence of their various organizations included Mr. Debo of Etisalat, Mr. Rasheed of MTN who respectively pleaded that issues be clearer so as to be on the same page with the NCC. He also requested that the regulatory body NCC should “understand” their business more.

In a closing remark the Executive Vice Chairman told participants that NCC as a regulatory outfit does not stay on the side of operators or consumers but was always there to resolve issued between both sides.of the service provider’s well which is just what we are starting to do.