Business Briefs
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THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, said the absence of instrument of negotiation on the part of government was one of the reasons MTN Nigeria had not commenced the process that would lead to the full payment of the N780 billion fine imposed on it last year.
Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, EVC, NCC, admitted that key government agencies had not made inputs into the proposal made by MTN to government to facilitate the negotiation process. “This is being collated as we speak and very soon, a team which we already have in place will enter into direct negotiation with MTN.”
The EVC, spoke during a courtesy visit by Adolphus Joe Ekpe, director general, National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, in his office, in Abuja. He said the N50 billion paid by MTN was a mark of good will for negotiating an out-of-court settlement, adding that it was not part of the N70 billion the commission generated within the last six months from sale of spectrum broadband.
Danbatta said: “NCC has generated N70 billion from the sale of spectrum broadband and spectrum within the six months. This money belongs to the Nigeria people and is remitted into the federation account for services to be rendered to Nigerians by the government.”
On the proposal made by MTN on a convenient mode of payment, Danbatta said government is looking at it, adding that he is not in a position to say whether it will be acceptable to government or not. “This is an ongoing process of negotiation and not until it is concluded, nobody will be able to offer a position on it.”
Asked about MTN’s preparedness to pay the fine, he said: “MTN didn’t say they were not going to pay. I did not read this anywhere in the papers, nor does their body language indicate unwillingness to pay.”
Danbatta admitted that the most important thing is that the case has been struck out of the court and they have made a goodwill payment. “This is an action that acknowledges their willingness to pay and to amicably resolve the matter, and it will be resolved.”
In his remark, Ekpe said the commission was visiting NCC to seek greater collaboration in the spirit of nation building that would help in the revenue generation base of government, adding that inter-governmental collaboration has not been adequate enough. He said it had become expedient that there should be a platform for the integration of NLRC text message transaction monitoring and archiving platform for lottery schemes aided by telecommunication providers.
— Apr 18, 2016 @ 01:00 GMT
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