The National Telecom Regulatory Authority (NTRA) organized a seminar for representatives of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC) in Alexandria, Beheira and Marsa Matrouh Governorates, on NTRA mission and role in regulating and governing the telecommunication market.
The seminar was held on February 12, in Alexandria, and was attended by representatives and General Secretaries of the three Governorates, Heads of the Chambers of Commerce, Heads of telecommunication divisions, and over 50 importers, traders and outlet owners.
The seminar comes as part of the role of NTRA in governing the telecommunication market and raising awareness among different market parties of the importance of enhancing cooperation to develop mechanisms to regulate work at the telecommunication market.
The seminar is one in a series of seminars, organized by NTRA in different governorates to introduce and explain the regulatory and governing frameworks that NTRA adopts with regard to importing and trading telecommunication devices, and selling and buying mobile phone lines.
The aim is to help regulate work mechanisms in the Egyptian market, facilitate business, utilize digital transformation in investment deals, and avoid non-compliant practices that have negative impact on business and on the quality of services.
During the seminar, NTRA highlighted the importance of using its new digital portal for import and licensing services, which helps save effort and time in obtaining services. Early this year, NTRA launched its digital portal to serve over 5,000 customers (companies and individuals) dealing with the different types of telecommunication equipment that cover the needs of the Egyptian market, on annual basis.
Users of the portal can finalize all procedures for obtaining permits, licenses, and custom releases, and receive NTRA services electronically. This comes as part of the role of NTRA in supporting the state's strategy for accelerating the digital transformation.
The seminar included discussions on cybercrime, its negative impact and how to fight it, in cooperation with the telecommunication police. The seminar also discussed the importance of building more cell towers, faster, in cooperation with districts in governorates. Cell towers improve the quality of telecommunication services and help more people reach such services.
Furthermore, the seminar discussed how the system of receiving and resolving user complaints works, and its development. The system serves citizens and makes sure their complaints are handled in a short period of time.
Besides launching a digital portal for licensing and import services, NTRA plays a supervisory and regulatory role in regulating the market. This includes making sure that the telecommunication equipment used in the Egyptian market conform to the technical specifications approved by NTRA, as well as conducting seizures.
NTRA, in collaboration with the telecommunication police, conducted a number of seizures in different governorates, at telecommunication service outlets to make sure they comply with the procedures and regulations issued by NTRA with regard to trading non-conforming and unauthorized equipment. This helped seize a large number of non-conforming telecommunication equipment, brought illegally, as well as unauthorized mobile lines, sold illegally in unofficial outlets.
Such a seminar comes as part of NTRA effort to raise awareness, with the aim to facilitate conducting transactions related to telecommunication equipment and mobile phone lines, in the Egyptian market, in a way that does not conflict with the regulatory frameworks and instructions issued by NTRA to avoid improper behaviors that may affect the quality of service.
