Friday June 23, 2017
FILE - A Somali man browses the internet on his mobile phone at the beach along in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, Jan. 10, 2014.
The Cabinet of the Federal Government of Somalia has unanimously passed the draft National Communications Act, submitted by the Ministry of Posts, Telecom and Technology.
This act is one of the oldest draft laws that was not passed by the Parliament. However, the Ministry has in the last couple of months accelerated the review process of this draft law through consultations with all stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Committee on Telecom and Information, regional states, telecom operators, ISPs and the academia.
The Act, once passed, will regulate the telecom sector, one of Somalia’s thriving industries, and protect the rights of both consumers and investors.
H. E. Abdi Ashur Hassan, the Minister for Posts, Telecom and Technology, said that this law was one the priorities for the new leadership at the Ministry. “The most important and urgent issue the industry needs is an effective regulatory framework. Once passed by the Parliament, the Act will open a lot of opportunities for the sector and help us protect our investors both locally and internationally,” concluded the Minister.
The draft National Communications Act will be among the first bills to be submitted to the Parliament when it reopens in July this year.