Tanzania’s revenue monitoring system to launch in December
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Tanzania’s revenue monitoring system to launch in December

Tanzania’s Telecommunication Monitoring System will begin operating in December in a bid to track the amount of money generated in the sector.

The system is expected to monitor revenues from the major telecommunications companies in the country. It is thought the government is trying to establish why the telecoms sector only contributes a reported 2.1% to overall GDP.

Speaking at Capacity Africa 2012, Tanzania’s Minister for Communication, Science and Technology, Makame Mbarawa, confirmed the government will announce the winner of the floated tender to install the system.

He said that 10 ICT companies had applied to install the system, which has been commissioned by Tanzanian regulator TCRA. “The system will facilitate the government’s ability to monitor revenue earned by telecoms companies and overcome any cheating in the sector,” said Mbarawa.

The system has the capability to record the amount of time people spend using communications. Despite high penetration and usage of mobile phones, the government is reportedly unhappy with the low returns the industry is generating.

Mbarawa’s deputy minister, January Makamba, was also present at the conference and he outlined the government’s commitment to promoting infrastructure sharing agreements in the country and across Africa so carriers can make use of the vast amount of the connectivity efficiently.

Makamba urged carriers to shift focus from thinking of telecoms as a commodity-driven industry and focus on providing value-added propositions for Africa’s growing tech-savvy population.

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