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Reviving Indebted and Defunct Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL).

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Government is using UTL, as a Proxy to Spoof and Loot Money.

Telecom Service Provider UTL is today Thursday 29 November 2018 captured here by Drones, preferably, finalising plans to install an Aerial Antenna Musk on top of KKT Plaza skyscraper in Arua - Uganda.


In a bid to retrieve back the drowning Telecom Company, Uganda Government has exempted the Company from New Changes in the Tax Body; Social Media Tax and Mobile Money Tax.


This Ailing UTL Company, that faced looting of its Funds and Assets just immediately after the Collapse of Libyan Government, which was by then, One of the Proprietors of the Company is up to now still embattled despite Government Efforts to boom it.


On 20 June 2017.


State Minister for Investment and Privatization, Evelyne Anite has said that government will make it a compulsory requirement for every Ugandan to own a Uganda Telecom simcard.


This, the minister said, will be a display of patriotism and pride in for the country and its citizens.


“It did not take us to get somebody from another country to come and fix what is in UTL. I want to tell you something; that once we fix the problems in UTL, it is going to be compulsory for Ugandans to hold a UTL line just as it is for you to have a national ID,” she said.


Anite was speaking at the Uganda Telecom staff blood donation ceremony at the Constitutional Square in Kampala.


UTL has been and is facing financial and technical constraints that have seen it put under government receivership, with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) Registrar General, Bemanya Twebaze as government’s official receiver.


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On 27 September 2017.


Government through the Ministry of Finance and economic planning has ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to procure internet and voice services from debt-stricken Uganda Telecom (UTL)


The directive was issued by the Secretary to the National Treasury, Keith Muhakanizi in a statement dated September 14th.


Muhakanizi, in the statement said the move was meant to lower the cost of sourcing internet to government agencies although there are a number of reasons surrounding the same.


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Currently, government agencies are supplied internet by the National Information Technology Authority of Uganda (NITA-U) who manage the National Backbone and eGovernment infrastructure (NBI)


Key among the reasons government gives is the cost of internet which they say is high and that UTL would offer the same services at a reduced cost.


PRICING

Sources inside government have revealed that prior to the directive, UTL management approached government with an offer to provide internet at USD$100 per mbps.


The offer, though considerable low seems impossible to maintain or execute, considering UTL has loads of debts and has been through a tough management crisis.


UTL which has been under receivership having been declared bankrupt in May, is currently not offering any internet services on the market.


It is being managed by Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) Registrar General, Bemanya Twebaze who is the government’s official receiver.


On the contrary, NITA offered the same services at the rate of USD$300 per mbps as of June 2017.


In July 2017, the Authority signed a contract to acquire an IRU (Indefeasible Right of Use) and lowered the price to USD$190 per mbps.


PC Tech Magazine has learnt that by the time NITA-U took on provision of internet in 2012, government was buying at the rate of USD$1200 per mbps, a cost which has been reduced by close to 90% in less than 5 years.


NITA is currently providing internet to over 270 government sites across the country, that on top of hosting other private companies including Africell, Rock Telecom, C-Squared among others.


UTL Crisis

Aside from Internet pricing, the move is also intended to help UTL rise on its feet and become fully functional again.


A parliamentary investigations committee recommended that the telco be shut down although President Museveni through Investment Minister Anite insisted.


ICT Minister Opposes the Move

Minister for Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance, Frank Tumwebaze is among the many people that have come out to oppose the directive saying its “a bad idea.”


He argued that this seizes the mandate of his ministry, which is charged with among others implementing the broadband strategy among other ICT aspects.


In a statement to Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, Tumwebaze pointed out that the directive contradicts government’s 2012 decision to use the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) for all its internet under the management of NITA.


Tumwebaze says there should be proof first that this is possible, especially now that UTL is not offering these services at the time.


He said, his ministry would have expected a proposal from UTL demonstrating how they plan to offer cheaper internet services sustainably and below what government is getting from NITA’s NBI, one which they didn’t get.


“A possible partnership between UTL and NITA would have been explored to build synergies and deliver cheaper internet to the MDAs and the public, but not jeopardize the NBI already in existence, and which government invested in heavily,” said Tumwebaze.


That notwithstanding, accounting officers from all ministries, departments and agencies on Friday met at the Finance Ministry offices in Kampala to be guided on the implementation of this directive.


Stay Tuned as More Write Up is Coming Up about this Topic and Other Stories.


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