South Sudan requested to explain miseuse of Uganda’s dial code
September 4, 2007 (KAMPALA) — A south Sudanese civil society organization wants the country’s telecommunication and postal services minister, to testify before parliament on the alleged misuse of the Uganda’s dialling code, the Daily Monitor reported.
Franzen Soenke, an official from Gurtong Peace Trust, a south Sudan public accountability forum, has written to the parliamentary committee on commissions, statutory bodies and state enterprises demanding that Maj-Gen Gier Chuang immediately explains the status of the Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL)-Gemtel deal. Gemtel is a private South Sudan phone company that was given leeway by Uganda Telecom Ltd (UTL) to use the national code +256.
The committee is currently investigating circumstances under which UTL gave Gemtel the franchise. MPs say the government is losing millions of shillings since Gemtel uses the code without paying direct taxes to the government.
The committee chairman, John Odit (Erute South) yesterday confirmed receiving the letter demanding that Mr Chuang’s testimony on the UTL-Gemtel deal. Daily Monitor saw the email. “Maj-Gen Chuang should provide information to Ugandans. He should explain because it’s a scam and Ugandans are losing,” it reads in part.
However, Odit said issues of diplomacy could curtail Maj-Gen Chuang from giving testimony in another country. This is the first time south Sudanese demand an explanation from Mr Chuang, a month after the committee asked Interpol to investigate Gemtel. This was weeks after Works and Transport Minister John Nasasira told the committee thus: “The government does not have any information about the company’s directors.”
Odit said Gemtel could have illegally set up a satellite dish at the Mpoma earth satellite station, a sensitive government facility in Mukono District in southeastern Uganda, 21 km from Kampala.
But Minister of ICT Minister Ham Mulira, said the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) allows a sovereign state to lend another its international code under circumstances such as disasters, but only on a temporary basis.
Odit said details of the agreement are scanty but reports indicate that Gemtel, whose chairman is listed as Augustus Caesar Mulenga, a Ugandan, was paying UTL 50,000 dollars (89.5m shillings) a month in interconnection fees.
(Daily Monitor)
James James
South Sudan requested to explain miseuse of Uganda’s dial code
The issue of communication need careful and keen follow up then being treated as minor problem.First,the parliament of south sudan should put strong presure on the Sudan government to explain the reason as to why the network is available in the north 24/7 and people of Southern Sudan has to spend millions of dollars every month on buying the costly thuriya cards just to get attach to their love ones 10 mile away.
Achuang must also stop poking the public by dripping money into his pocket from thier illegal deal with ugandan telecoms, because such kinds crimes are very punishable with zero tellorant since this is one of the main instrumental necessities to the nation and nation’s development.
Achuang better get into his veins that, he has already fallen into the list of corrupt officials, therefore he need to step down to give the way to someone who knows what to do to the people.
Thank you
Peter Guzulu Maze @north America.