Page 105 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

A SNAPSHOT OF REGULATORY ACTIVITIES

IN THE SAMENA REGION

Afghanistan

The Afghan government has announced that the Afghanistan and technical and financial management of the companies to
Telecom Regulatory Authority (ATRA) will be merged into the be the responsibility of the Minister for Telecommunication and
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), Information Technology. The ATRA, meanwhile, will be transferred
along with state-owed telco Afghan Telecom (Aftel) – which to the MCIT where it will continue its activities as a non-budgetary
offers mobile services under the Salaam brand – and Afghan unit, albeit under the direction of the telecom minister. The MCIT
Post. The development is part of the restructuring of the nation’s claims that the merger of the departments will lead to ‘more
government institutions following the takeover by the Taliban coordination to achieve the goals of this sector and … will help to
in August this year. Under the plans, Aftel and Afghan Post will improve services under a single leadership.’
be transferred to the framework of the MCIT, with leadership (December 17, 2021) commsupdate.com

Algeria

During the year 2021, more than two million commercial exceeded DZD 8 billion (USD 57 billion) while they were at DZD 4
operations via electronic payment terminals were recorded in billion in 2020 (USD 29 billion). (December 26, 2021) menafn.com
Algeria, local news agency Algérie Presse Service reported.
The Algerian government has worked to encourage this type The country’s independent telecoms watchdog the Authority for
of operations. Prime minister and Finance minister Aïmene Regulation of Post and Electronic Communications (Autorite de
Benabderrahmane said electronic payments reached an overall Regulation de la Poste et des Communications Electroniques,
amount of nearly DZD 15 billion (USD 109 million), up by 220% ARPCE) has awarded extra 900MHz mobile spectrum to the
compared to 2020 where the overall amount reached DZD 4.7 country’s three cellular network operators. In a brief statement
billion (USD 33 million), the result of 711,000 operations. At the on its website the regulator said that it assigned additional
signing ceremony of the agreement on the official launch of frequencies in the E-GSM band (880MHz-890MHz/925MHz-
interoperability between the platforms of Algeria Post and banks, 935MHz) to Mobilis, Djezzy and Ooredoo ‘as part of improving
dedicated to payment by Internet, Benabderrahmane said that the the quality of service of mobile telephony networks’ and added
Internet payment has experienced a promising development, as it that it ‘will continue its efforts in the planning and assignment of
has passed from 3.3 million operations in 2020 to more than 6.3 frequencies, in order to offer the best quality of service to users.’
million operations in 2021 where the amounts of operations have (November 25, 2021) commsupdate.com

Bahrain

The Chief Executive of the Information and eGovernment This announcement came during a press conference held by
Authority (iGA) Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed announced details of the the iGA in cooperation with the National Contact Centre. Al-
new digital policies adopted by the Council of Ministers under the Qaed explained how new digital policies relate to government
chairmanship of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al performance and reflect them at the level of public government
Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister which aim to enhance services by reviewing a set of items, principles, and goals
the provision of e-services and facilitate their use by various that fall under those policies, which include open data policy,
sectors to encourage creativity and business development in e-participation, digital services first policy, digital government as
accordance with the best international standards and indicators. a right policy, and single data entry policy. Mr. Al-Qaed said that

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