Gov’t Grants Camtel Concession to Compete, Transform Cameroon’s Digital Economy

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Yaounde

Camtel DG, Judith Yah Sunday espe Achidi and P & T Minister,  Minette Libom Li Liken 

pose with the concession documents

Government has in accordance with Article 97 of the 2010 electronic communications law granted three concession agreements to Cameroon telecommunications company, Camtel, enabling it to benefit by right operation licences for her activities and corporate purpose.

                The three concession agreements were handed over to Judith Yah Sunday espe Achidi, Director General of Camtel in an official ceremony presided over by Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng of Post and Telecommunications.

                The ceremony which brought together about eight government ministers, took place at the Yaounde Hilton, on Thursday 12 March 2020.

                The agreements include that authorising Camtel to establish and operate a mobile electronic communications network with national coverage open to the public and linked to 2G, 3G and 4G access technologies; to operate a fixed electronic communications network with national coverage open to the public by wire line access and that to operate an electronic communications network including submarine cable landing stations and teleports to satellite networks.

                In her address, Yah Sunday, described the ceremony as historic for the company and thanked President Biya for bestowing in the company and her person the confidence of transforming the country’s digital economy through Camtel.

                She hailed Minister Libom Likeng and Louis Paul Motaze of Finance for their efforts in ensuring that the concessions finally see the light of day after many years. She pledged her renewed commitment to ensure proper delivery of the tasked assigned to Camtel by government.

                While underscoring Camtel’s importance in the infrastructural heritage of electronic communications, Yah Sunday, promised to with the aid of the concession provide Cameroonians with state-of-the-art electronic communications services which will reduce the digital divide existing between urban and rural areas.

                Taking the queue, the Finance Minister, Louis Paul Motaze, revealed the concession agreements comes on the heels of recent degree reorganising the company, adding, that it indicates the importance attached by governments to it. He described Camtel as important and essential in the development of electronic communications in Cameroon and urged staff to uphold vigilance in the management of the company’s affairs and ensure remarkable outing immediately follows the agreements.

                Minister Libom explained that the concession agreements granted Camtel falls in line with global best practices in the sector that has since the late 90s witnessed a wind of change that required performance. This she said led government to strive to reposition the incumbent operator into her position as leader in the electronic communications in the country.

                The granting of the licences to Camtel enables her to officially join competitors in the sector to supply services to the public which will transform the company into a real mobile operator in terms of service quality and at affordable prices. Libom Urge all and sundry to embark on transparent management and ensure proper application of the terms of the licences and boost personnel to effectively play their role as telecom leaders not just in the country but across the sub region.

                Created in September 1998 with corporate purpose to deploy telecommunications infrastructure and provide related services following the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in July same year, Camtel, was in business without an operating licence until 2003 when it was granted a provisional concession agreement for fixed telephone networks and services for a period of two years renewable once. This expired in 2007, forcing the company to suspend its investments at a time when other operators were entering the market, investing more to gain market. 

                It is therefore against this backdrop that government has made heavy investments in structuring projects to reposition Camtel on the electronic communications market in areas like the Backbone projects phases 1, 2 and 3, the National Broadband Network (NBN) programme, the Mobile Communications Network (MCN) programme, the various landing point for submarine cables, etc.

                The concession agreements each handed Camtel include: specifications defining the conditions for the establishment and operation, obligations relating to the quality, minimum obligation of coverage and network deployment, pricing policy and the constitution of the company’s share capital.

                The operating licences would enable Camtel reorganise itself internally in order to be more competitive and effectively utilise the opportunity offered by elaborating on its organisational chart with a view to create Busines Units, get expertise from specialised firms for a successful implementation of analytical accounting within these Business Units.

                Government has in accordance with Article 97 of the 2010 electronic communications law granted three concession agreements to Cameroon telecommunications company, Camtel, enabling it to benefit by right operation licences for her activities and corporate purpose.

                The three concession agreements were handed over to Judith Yah Sunday espe Achidi, Director General of Camtel in an official ceremony presided over by Minister Minette Libom Li Likeng of Post and Telecommunications.

                The ceremony which brought together about eight government ministers, took place at the Yaounde Hilton, on Thursday 12 March 2020.

                The agreements include that authorising Camtel to establish and operate a mobile electronic communications network with national coverage open to the public and linked to 2G, 3G and 4G access technologies; to operate a fixed electronic communications network with national coverage open to the public by wire line access and that to operate an electronic communications network including submarine cable landing stations and teleports to satellite networks.

                In her address, Yah Sunday, described the ceremony as historic for the company and thanked President Biya for bestowing in the company and her person the confidence of transforming the country’s digital economy through Camtel.

                She hailed Minister Libom Likeng and Louis Paul Motaze of Finance for their efforts in ensuring that the concessions finally see the light of day after many years. She pledged her renewed commitment to ensure proper delivery of the tasked assigned to Camtel by government.

                While underscoring Camtel’s importance in the infrastructural heritage of electronic communications, Yah Sunday, promised to with the aid of the concession provide Cameroonians with state-of-the-art electronic communications services which will reduce the digital divide existing between urban and rural areas.

                Taking the queue, the Finance Minister, Louis Paul Motaze, revealed the concession agreements comes on the heels of recent degree reorganising the company, adding, that it indicates the importance attached by governments to it. He described Camtel as important and essential in the development of electronic communications in Cameroon and urged staff to uphold vigilance in the management of the company’s affairs and ensure remarkable outing immediately follows the agreements.

                Minister Libom explained that the concession agreements granted Camtel falls in line with global best practices in the sector that has since the late 90s witnessed a wind of change that required performance. This she said led government to strive to reposition the incumbent operator into her position as leader in the electronic communications in the country.

The granting of the licences to Camtel enables her to officially join competitors in the sector to supply services to the public which will transform the company into a real mobile operator in terms of service quality and at affordable prices. Libom Urge all and sundry to embark on transparent management and ensure proper application of the terms of the licences and boost personnel to effectively play their role as telecom leaders not just in the country but across the sub region.

                Created in September 1998 with corporate purpose to deploy telecommunications infrastructure and provide related services following the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in July same year, Camtel, was in business without an operating licence until 2003 when it was granted a provisional concession agreement for fixed telephone networks and services for a period of two years renewable once. This expired in 2007, forcing the company to suspend its investments at a time when other operators were entering the market, investing more to gain market. 

                It is therefore against this backdrop that government has made heavy investments in structuring projects to reposition Camtel on the electronic communications market in areas like the Backbone projects phases 1, 2 and 3, the National Broadband Network (NBN) programme, the Mobile Communications Network (MCN) programme, the various landing point for submarine cables, etc.

                The concession agreements each handed Camtel include: specifications defining the conditions for the establishment and operation, obligations relating to the quality, minimum obligation of coverage and network deployment, pricing policy and the constitution of the company’s share capital.

                The operating licences would enable Camtel reorganise itself internally in order to be more competitive and effectively utilise the opportunity offered by elaborating on its organisational chart with a view to create Busines Units, get expertise from specialised firms for a successful implementation of analytical accounting within these Business Units.