Airtel Malawi deputy managing director Maurice Newa has pleaded with telecommunications regulatory bodies in Southern Africa to ensure minimal regulatory interventions in the sector.
“We call for more deregulation and less regulatory intervention to allow more liberalisation of the industry,” he said on Wednesday in Lilongwe when the telecommunication firm hosted a dinner in honour of Communication Regulator’s Association of Southern Africa (Crasa) delegates.
The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) has for the past week been hosting the second annual general meeting of Crasa.
Newa said Airtel Malawi hopes the regulatory bodies within southern Africa will continue to be more independent and objective in discharging their duties to create ‘a level playing field.’
“If this is done, we believe the telecommunications sector will catalyse economic growth while connecting people to the world,” he said.
Newa said time is ripe for mobile communication in the world to give people access to education, healthcare and banking and give subscribers the freedom to achieve their goals in life.
He said while Airtel Malawi appreciates that countries in southern Africa are still behind developed economies, most countries are taking steps in the right direction.
