CRAN, MTC agree on levy settlement after 10 years of wrangling in legal proceedings
By Clifton Movirongo.
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) and Mobile Telecommunications Limited (MTC) have reached a settlement agreement, closing a 10-year legal dispute on the legality of regulatory levies for the period 31 March 2016 to 11 June 2018.
This, as a result, emerged as MTC and other industry players challenged section 23 of the Communications Act in the High Court in 2012 to determine the constitutionality of the regulatory levies as enforced by CRAN.
The details of the agreement were, however, not made public. “The parties have been engaged in negotiations over an extensive period and CRAN is pleased to announce that the matter is now settled amicably. Consequently, the parties also agreed to withdraw all cases pending between them in the High Court.” read a statement issued by CRAN, on Tuesday.
According to Emilia Nghikembua, the CRAN Chief Executive, the settlement agreement is a pivotal step in restoring a harmonious working relationship between the two institutions to benefit information and communication technology consumers.
“Additionally, it has brought to an end a long, protracted and expensive litigation process. We are particularly pleased that we can now jointly focus on promoting technological innovation and the deployment of advanced facilities and services in order to support the social and economic growth of Namibia,” Nghikembua concluded.
