Malawi Communications and Regulatory Authority (Macra)’s successful purchase and nod from the court to use a machine to monitor mobile phone operators, has attracted a delegation from its Zambian counterpart institution.
A seven-member delegation from Zambia Information and Communications Authority (Zicta) is in the country for a benchmark study tour to learn from Macra how it went about procuring the Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System (Cirms).
Macra, after a protracted court battle, was recently given a go ahead by the High Court in Zomba to proceed with implementation and use of the Cirms to monitor mobile phone operators.
The Cirms, according to Macra, will help it fulfill its statutory monitoring mandate in respect to quality of service, revenue assurance, fraud management and spectrum management.
Zicta board chairperson Emmanuel Musonda told journalists at Macra offices in Blantyre on Monday that Zambia has begun the procuring process, but was facing similar hurdles Malawi faced from mobile phone operators
He said his team has also been to Tanzania where the monitoring system is in place. It also established that resistance from operators was there, but consultations and necessary regulations settled the matter.
Macra director of telecommunication services Lloyd Momba said the Zambian delegation wants to determine whether they can do an outright purchase of the system as Malawi did or go for a revenue sharing arrangement that Tanzania opted for. n
