TheNewsGuru

Tag: Service providers

  • CBN directs payment service providers to begin PoS transaction tracking

    CBN directs payment service providers to begin PoS transaction tracking

    The Central Bank of Nigeria has issued a 30 days ultimatum to Payment Service Providers (PSPs) in the country to adhere to the revised routing instructions for Point of Sale (PoS) transactions.

    The directive was issued in a circular dated September 11, 2024 by Oladimeji Yisa Taiwo, for Director, Payments System Management Department, CBN but published by the apex bank on Thursday, Sept 12, 2024.

    The apex bank said the PSPs must regularise their systems and route all POS transactions through its licenced PTSAs; Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS) and Unified Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL), and inform CBN of their compliance within 30 days from the date of the circular.

    The financial regulator added that all PSPs and PTSAs are expected to submit monthly returns to CBN’s director, payments system management department, not later than seven days after the end of each month.

    CBN urged PSPs and the aggregators to be guided accordingly as non-compliance would attract appropriate sanctions.

    The circular reads, “In order to achieve the objective of tracking electronic transactions in Nigeria, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in August 2011, granted a Payment Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA) licence to Nigeria Interbank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS),” the apex bank said.

    “As part of efforts to mitigate the concerns regarding channelling Point of Sale (PoS) transactions through a single aggregator, the CBN on April 19, 2024, granted a second PTSA licence to Unified Payment Services Limited (UPSL).

    “In furtherance of the above, the CBN hereby directs as follows: acquirers are henceforth required to route all transactions from PoS terminals at merchant and agent locations, whether on physical or electronic PoS terminals, through any CBN-licensed Payment Terminal Service Aggregator (PTSA).

    “PTSAs are required to send PoS transactions to only Processors certified by the relevant Payment Scheme, nominated by the Acquirer and licensed by CBN.

    “All licensed Processors must be integrated with both PTSAS, thereby allowing Acquirers the flexibility to choose which Processor(s) and PTSA to utilize

    “All Payment Terminal Service Providers (PTSPs) must ensure that their PoS devices. Applications are configured to route transactions through any PTSA, as directed by the Acquirer.

    “All PTSPs shall submit monthly returns to the CBN, detailing the number of merchants and agents they manage, along with the PTSA services used to route the corresponding transactions.

    “Each PTSA is required to submit monthly returns to the CBN, detailing all transactions processed through their platforms.”

    .

  • Service providers should block reported stolen SIM card under five minutes – NCC

    Service providers should block reported stolen SIM card under five minutes – NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed a 5 minutes time frame for blocking a stolen Subscribers Identity Module (SIM Card) instead of the presently used 30 minutes.

    The NCC made this proposal known during the three-day public inquiries of six regulatory instruments at the commission in Abuja on Monday.

    While presenting the Draft Quality of Service Business Rules, the Deputy Director, Technical Standards and Networks Integrity Department, Edoyemi Ogoh, noted that this amendment was being made.

    He noted that service providers should endevour to block a stolen sim card in five minutes  after it has been reported

    He said, “For Section1.3H, this subsection basically, we are talking about the request for blocking of reported stolen phones. We are looking at once it is reported and confirmed stolen to basically reduce the timeline from 30 minutes to five minutes.”

    He said the reason for the amendment of the entire regulation was to catch up with the changes in the technological space, and stay up to date with that was happening in the industry.

    According to him, the essence was to ensure that subscribers got value for their money.

    In his opening remark, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Danbatta, noted that the communications sector was critical for innovation and advancement in technology.

    He added that the regulatory instruments reviewed during the public inquiry were essential to ensuring that the communications sector met the demands of the dynamic digital age.

    Danbatta said, “The communications sector is at the forefront of innovation and advancements in technology geared towards driving economic growth and societal development. It affords seamless communication, fosters connectivity and thereby creates an enabling environment to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

    “However, with the laudable advancements in the sector comes great responsibility on the part of government to ensure that there exists an enabling environment for the industry to thrive, through the introduction/amendment of key regulatory instruments.

    “The regulatory instruments being considered during the course of this public inquiry are vital to ensuring that the communications sector meets the demands of the ever-evolving digital age.”

     

  • IPPIS: AGF meets service providers, calls for permanent solution to challenges

    IPPIS: AGF meets service providers, calls for permanent solution to challenges

    The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein has urged the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) service to permanently resolve challenges in the payroll platform.

    According to a statement issued by Mr Bawa Mokwa, the Director of Press, OAGF on Sunday in Abuja, Madein made the call at a meeting with IPPIS service providers in Abuja.

    She said that the Office of the OAGF had initiated engagement with the service providers and other stakeholders as part of strategies to find permanent solutions to challenges in the operations of IPPIS.

    The OAGF had blamed technical glitches in its paynent platforms for the delay in payment of June salaries of federal civil servants.

    According to Madein, glitches in IPPIS are worrisome to the government, and it is imperative to entrench efficiency in the operations of the payroll system to justify government’s huge investment in the project.

    “The OAGF is determined to consolidate on the gains of the IPPIS and will work assiduously to maintain an efficient and trustworthy payroll system for the country.

    “We have taken notice of the challenges in IPPIS and we will do everything possible, not only to resolve them, but to forestall future occurrence, ” the AGF said.

    She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to IPPIS, adding that there was no going back to the analogue payroll system.

    According to her, all that is necessary must be done to move forward.

    Madein called for continuous interaction and collaboration between stakeholders in IPPIS.

    She also constituted a technical committee comprising officers from the OAGF and the IPPIS service providers to find ways of avoiding future technical glitches that could delay payment of salaries.

  • NCC allays fears on service providers’ agitation for tariff increase

    NCC allays fears on service providers’ agitation for tariff increase

    …says no tariff hike without recourse to empirical studies

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has allayed the fears of Nigerians that no tariff increase will be effected by telecom operators without due regulatory approval by the Commission.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this was contained in a statement released by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs.

    Adinde stated that NCC has monitored with keen interest the deluge of reports in the media on the demand by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) ostensibly to increase tariffs of telecom services.

    He also stated that the Commission has taken notes of the fears being expressed by telecom subscribers on the agitation.

    TNG reports the demand being made by MNOs under the auspices of the Associatoon of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) is contained in a letter to the Commission.

    ALTON cited high cost of running their operations as the major reason for their proposed tariff hike,

    However, the Commission in the statement noted that “Consistent with international best practice and established regulatory procedures, the NCC ensures its regulatory activities are guided by regular cost-based and empirical studies to determine appropriate cost (upper and floor price) within which service providers are allowed to charge their subscribers for services delivered.

    “The Commission ensures that any cost determined, as an outcome of such transparent studies is fair enough as to enhance healthy competition among operators, provide wider choices for the subscribers as well as ensure sustainability of the Nigerian telecoms industry”.

    The statement further reads: “For the avoidance of any doubt, and contrary to MNOs’ agitation to increase tariffs for voice and Short Messaging Services (SMS) by a certain percentage, the Commission wishes to categorically inform telecoms subscribers and allay the fears of Nigerians that no tariff increase will be effected by the operators without due regulatory approval by the Commission.

    “It is noteworthy that tariff regulations and determinations are made by the Commission in line with the provisions of Sections 4, 90 and 92 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which entrusts the Commission with the protection and promotion of the interests of subscribers against unfair practices including but not limited to; matters relating to tariffs and charges.

    “The current tarriff regime being administered by the service providers is a product of NCC’s determination both for voice and SMS in the past.

    “However, while there could be justifiable reasons for MNOs’ demand for tarrif increase, it should be noted that they are not allowed to do such either individually or collectively without recourse to NCC, following the outcome of a cost study. This is not the case for now.

    “Through NCC’s commitment to engendering healthy competition among the licensees, the cost of services has been democratised and become more and more affordable for Nigerian subscribers. The regulator is even more committed to this cause to ensure subscribers get greater value for money spent on telecom services”.

  • Unused data: Respite comes for subscribers as NCC restates position on data rollover

    Unused data: Respite comes for subscribers as NCC restates position on data rollover

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has met with Senior Executives of telecommunication companies and reemphasized that subscribers’ unused data must be rolled over to subsequent data subscription.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports NCC during the meeting held recently with the top execs of the telecom companies said this is the solution to the perennial issues bothering on unused data rollover.

    At the meeting, which focused on consumer relations and complaint management processes, the NCC restated that its directives of June 2018 to service providers to commence implementation of data rollover from 26 June 2018 remain in force.

    According to a statement by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, NCC Public Affairs, the Commission and the telecom service providers agreed that the compensation policy should be revisited and complied with at all times.

    “This is to ensure full compliance with the new Complaint Categories and Service Level Agreement (CC/SLA) consented to by the NCC and the service providers in the telecommunication ecosystem.

    “Additionally, it was decided that the Commission and telecom service providers will hold follow-up discussions on “Fair Usage Policy” on unlimited data bundles/data rollover, in order to provide a clearer explanation and better understanding of the processes and procedures of the policy for the benefit of the consumers.

    “In other words, a subscriber’s unused data must be rolled over to his/her subsequent data subscription. Therefore, the Commission urges service providers to continue to inform and educate subscribers on the procedures and processes for data rollover,” the statement reads.

    During the meeting, service providers also agreed to ensure that senior-level customer relations officers support their respective complaints management teams to resolve complaints that were not resolved to the satisfaction of the consumers when such complaints were first reported.

    The service providers also promised to ensure that complaints are resolved in both the letter and spirit of the recently-reviewed Service Level Agreement (SLA).

    With respect to services subscribed to through third parties (such as banks), which are not rendered, the meeting resolved that telecom service providers should explore initiating service level agreement with banks to ensure uniformity and speed in the resolution of complaints relating to billing.

    All parties to the meeting equally agreed that telecom service providers will carry out pervasive consumer education and enlightenment campaigns about their products and services to ensure their subscribers have the information they require to make informed decisions and get value for money spent.

    TNG reports the meeting of NCC with the Senior Executives of telecommunication companies is a bi-annual meeting, which has held regularly since 2018, focusing on ensuring improvement in Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) in the telecom industry.

    It has served as a veritable platform for the Commission and service providers to discuss and agree on measures that will enhance prompt and effective consumer complaint resolution in telecom service provision in Nigeria.

  • NCC warns service providers against unwholesome practices

    NCC warns service providers against unwholesome practices

    Major mobile network operators (MNOs) in the country recorded 9,077 cases of service outages on their networks in the second quarter of the year, resulting in unexpected disruptions to operators’ network quality of service (QoS) delivery and intermittent quality of experience (QoE) by the consumers, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.

    The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), NCC, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, disclosed this in a presentation delivered during the first Virtual Telecoms Consumer Parliament (VTCP) hosted by the Commission recently in Abuja.

    According to Adewolu, of the 9,077 service outages recorded by the operators, 3,585 were caused by incidences of denial of access to telecoms sites for maintenance, 4,972 were triggered by incidences of fibre cuts from construction activities and vandalism while 520 cases were as a result of incidences of generator and battery theft at sites.

    Adewolu, however, noted that in a proactive step to mitigate the challenges, the Commission had swiftly responded by taking some major decisions to mitigate any unforeseen challenges that may cause serious disruptions in service delivery to the consumers throughout the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    He said, “the Commission approved resource sharing by operators throughout the period of COVID-19 pandemic.” These include fibre optic cables and other resources in the event of cable cuts and other unforeseen developments.

    “We also ensured that the service providers meet the needs of their teeming consumers by securing Right of Passage (RoP) for all telecommunications officials and staff for easy movement during the lockdown. This was to ensure ease of movement to service base stations and other telecom facilities and equipment,” among others.

    The ECSM called on all stakeholders to join hands with the Commission in enlightening all citizens on the need to protect the telecom infrastructure in their domain without which quality of service delivery will be hampered. He noted the numerous complaints received from consumers by the Commission since the outbreak of the pandemic were indicative of the widening gap between the consumer QoS and the QoE provided by the service providers, which, according to him, needed to be addressed.

    He charged operators on the need to increase and improve their network capacity following the unprecedented increase in consumer demand.

    “Also, service providers must embark on pervasive consumer education and enlightenment campaign about data usage and billing to ensure their subscribers have all the required information to make informed decisions so as get value for money spent. Operators also need to train and equip their customer care personnel on consumer complaint management as well as ensuring that consumer complaints are resolved conclusively and in line with the revised Service Level Agreement (SLA),” Adewolu said.

    He warned service providers to refrain from indulging in unwholesome practices such as modification of data plan without informing the consumers, putting out promotional advertorials without prior approval by the Commission, changing the names and nomenclature of promotions from what was approved, among others to short-change the consumers, warning that the Commission will not hesitate to sanction erring operators.

    The ECSM noted that the Consumer Code of Practice requires that once a contract agreement is signed, both parties should adhere to the contract terms and conditions and where a change is required, the validity period should end before any modification is effected.

  • Broadband coverage: FG to licence new service providers – Osinbajo

    Broadband coverage: FG to licence new service providers – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has announced plans by the Federal Government to expand the broadband coverage of the country through the licensing of private broadband providers soon.

    TheNewsGuru reports Osinbajo made this known in his keynote address while headlining the Google for Nigeria 2018 event that held at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, on Thursday.

    He said the measure would improve the digital space and opportunities for innovation and technological advancement of the country.

    “Next week I will launch a climate innovation centre in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre at the Lagos Business School, here in Lekki Village.

    “All of these form part of our ICT road map in which the private sector is an important stakeholder.

    “The challenge remains connectivity, extending broadband reach, making data cheaper.

    “Our national broadband policy is the first step we are taking.

    “And so through the Nigerian Communications Commission we are licensing a number of infrastructure companies who will invest in rolling out broad band infrastructure across Nigeria.

    “I believe that we can extend broadband connectivity and reach significantly within a year or two and we will be partnering in whatever way we can with Google, with Nigerian broadband providers like 21 Century Technologies, BCN, to quickly achieve the level of connectivity that is required to march the creative energy that is being released in our country on a daily basis.

    “Our goal is to create a data-driven digital economy, one that would lead to the way not just in Africa but globally as well.’’

    Osinbajo expressed the belief that Nigeria was on the right path as the nation had the people and the talent.

    He added that there existed a government that had seen the potential very clearly and showing the determination to unlock that potential.

    According to him, technology has put great powers in our hands as individuals but more importantly as co-creators and collaborators to positively and dramatically change the course of human existence.

    Osinbajo noted that with technology the country could solve many problems confronting the people.

    He said that in addition, the country could connect people, grow businesses, influence good governance, and create better lives and a better country for the citizens and for the future.

    He said that the country was in many senses at an exciting moment in history because of what the young people were doing in innovation and their sheer energy and talent.

    Accordingly, the Vice President noted that the future the country was looking at, which had already arrived, is bound to be an exciting one for the youth and adults.

    He said that the government would be with the youth in every step of the journey.

    The Vice President thanked Google for democratizing the country’s digital space urging that such innovations should be extended to many of the nation’s markets where a large number of people pride their business.

    He observed that through Artificial Intelligence the country was guaranteed more food and better healthcare.

    He said every step made to make technology available would lead to a quantum leap in the African development story and a major contribution to global stability and growth.

    He described the launch of the Google station in the country as a very exciting event because of the company’s promise to provide access in several public spaces.

    He said the country was happy with the Google’s partnership and had been energizing the country’s markets with solar power, especially in Aba, Kano, Lagos and Ibadan.

    He said access to information, tools of education, business or commerce ensured that a lot of gaps of inequalities and exclusion were bridged.

    Osinbajo recalled that a digital skills training programme was launched in 2016 aimed at training of 400,000 youth on basic digital skills adding that the government had since trained more than one million persons in partnership with Google and local digital firms.

    He added that to scale up the support of private players in the technology space government created the technology and creative industry advisory group as part of the industrial council to support young players in the industry.

    He stated that through the GEM programme of the World Bank, the administration had given a $2 million lifeline to 79 start-ups across the country while the Bank of Industry had set aside a N10 billion technology fund also.

    “We are looking at increasing the availability of the fund and how to use all the development finance banks to extend credit to innovation and technology start-ups.

    He said that government was committed to building an ecosystem to drive innovation adding that government was training 5,000 developers as part of the country’s N-Power tech programme with another 3,000 being trained in animation.

    The VP added that government was supporting the students’ hub innovation challenge across institutions to support student entrepreneurs.

    The Country Director of Google, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, earlier said that the African digital story was evolving and the organization planned to keep building products and programmes to accelerate growth in Nigeria and Africa.

    She recalled that in 2017 the company had brought together Google’s global leadership with over 200 key stakeholder in the industry.

    She said that the organisation remained committed to developing the digital ecosystem and making its products more useful for Africans.

    “Most of Africa’s biggest challenges may not be solved by methods of the past; with machine learning and artificial intelligence these problems can be solved in a radically different way both faster and more cost effectively.

    “For example today with a smart phone and a camera and existing apps it is possible to detect and prevent diseases, predict severe weather conditions, like droughts, and also address financial inclusion for the un-banked.’’ she stated.

    The Google chief said that the country would continue to seek digital growth of Nigeria and Africa as Nigeria currently had over 45 million mobile internet users and future growth would be driven by smart phones currently growing at 14 per cent ever year.

    She recalled that Google had committed to training five million Africans as well as to train the next developers of Africans and giving them Google certification

    Ehimuan-Chiazor said that entrepreneurs in Africa would create the jobs of the future adding that the company was willing to through its Launchpad Accelerator Africa give more than $3 million equity free support to more than 60 early stage start-ups in the continent.

    “Since the launch earlier this year, 12 start-ups have graduated from the programme, working across a range of industry.

    “They have created 132 jobs and raised over $7 million in funding and their products are used by approximately 4.5 million users,’’ she noted.

    She also recalled the $20 million pledged to support non-profits in their jobs.

    In a related development, the Vice President declared open the Co-working Conference 2018 of innovators in Lagos where he stressed the need for collaboration and partnerships among entrepreneurs to boost productivity and economic growth.