Potraz Seeks To Facilitate Economic Growth With A New Set Of Regulations

Post Telecom Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has drawn up a draft Bill that is intended to repeal The Postal and Telecommunications ACT {Chapter 12:05}. The telecoms regulator said this is driven by regulatory deficiencies which have risen as a result of drastic changes in the Information and Communication Technologies landscape since the ACT was promulgated in the year 2000. Potraz said that the overall objective of this proposed Bill is to stimulate economic progress whilst at the same time catering the needs of consumers and businesses.

Some of the proposed amendments are:

• a new classes of licenses
• changes in the number of Board of Authority
• reducing the number of Board meetings held annually
• the role of Potraz in dispute settlement within the sector etc.

The proposed amendments will seek to:

• Streamline regulatory processes to enable a rapid response to any technological changes and consumer needs.
• Strengthen regulatory oversight on competition issues
• Include comprehensive provisions on addressing consumer complaints
• Facilitate the effective planning, management, and allocation of scarce resources
• Repeal obsolete provisions and upgrade organizational references where necessary.

Stakeholders are being invited by Potraz to comment and impart ideas on how to make this draft Bill appeal to the favorable interest of all concerned parties. Stakeholders have until the 10th of April to comment.

The objectives are good at face value but I doubt if Potraz is ever going to realize these professed objectives. To envision Potraz facilitating effective planning and management given its frustrating bureaucracy is far-fetched. And by saying “streamlining regulatory processes”, Potraz could essentially be saying that it is replacing old rules with new rules that will only impede the telecoms sector development. Stakeholders should then be braced for new bottlenecks.

You can download the proposed Bill here