adminCommunications and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche said the increase was an adjustment since the mobile operator’s licence fees were set “some” 15 years ago. The licence fees hike comes as mobile phone operators sought to renew the licences ahead of the expiry of their 15-year tenure.
“I am pleased to announce that the licence fees for the renewal of the mobile licence has been set at US$137 million for a 20 year tenure,” said Minister Goche briefing journalists in Harare yesterday.
He said a payment plan would be agreed between the operators and the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
“In addition, operators will pay an annual licence fee of 2 percent of audited annual gross turnover and contribute to the Universal Services Fund 0,5 percent of audited annual gross turnover,” he said.
Further, mobile telecommunications operators will pay frequency spectrum fees in accordance with their different requirements.
Minister Goche said together with the Ministry of Finance, they consulted industry players and stakeholders at international and regional level to enable the Government to make an informed decision.
The scope of the licence, he said, would remain substantially the same as the current ones, which cover 2G to 3G, but services beyond that will require formal licence adjustments.
Zimbabwe’s booming mobile telecommunications sector is dominated by Econet Wireless Zimbabwe followed by Telecel and NetOne.
Minister Goche said the current licensing conditions would always apply when the companies returned for renewal of the licences.
The minister said Econet Wireless, whose licence expires on July 9 2013, has had its application for renewal approved by the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
With the advent of the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector, the Government issued mobile phone licences to two operators Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and Telecel Zimbabwe in 1998.
The mobile licences were for a period of 15 years and the basic licence fee was US$100 million.
Online Reporter