The Tanzanian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Hon. Faustine Ndugulile and the Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Hon. Innocent Bashungwa have launched an improved the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Licensing System to enable large-scale telecom licensees to submit online applications.
Minister Ndugulile noted that the telecommunications sector is currently undergoing major changes and that the Government is committed to adapt to them with new investments.
He also noted that the licensing system has been improved and that applications for small-scale telecommunications licenses will take five days from application to completion of the license if the applicant has completed all application procedures.
In the case of large licenses, it will take 45 days to complete, which Ndugulile said is commendable for the great work that TCRA has done to complete the work to improve the system.
He also noted that his Ministry together with the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports is determined to encourage investments, especially in the broadcasting sector and especially in radio where the ministry recently issued a request for applications from citizens interested in investing in broadcasting in 60 districts of mainland Tanzania.
“We have now opened the doors to investments in the telecommunications and ICT sector including telecommunications, broadcasting and postal services which we manage so anyone who wishes to invest is very welcome” stressed Ndugulile.
Ndugulile took the opportunity to promise that his Ministry is going to make major changes to the licensing system in tandem with making changes to licenses, including online content licenses, noting that changes will be ready by September this year.
For his part, the Minister of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Hon. Innocent Bashungwa noted that the ministry he oversees hopes that the licensing system will bring significant operational changes, especially in the area of transparency and accountability.
“This licensing system […] will help us to be transparent; the aim of the two ministries is to bring efficiency and have a customer care approach ” he noted.
