The Role of Regulator in the Development of Economy & Market

"Our challenge is to harness the potential of information and communication technology to promote the development goals of the Millennium Declaration, namely the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger; achievement of universal primary education; promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women; reduction of child mortality; improvement of maternal health; to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and development of global partnerships for development for the attainment of a more peaceful, just and prosperous world. We also reiterate our commitment to the achievement of sustainable development and agreed development goals, as contained in the Johannesburg Declaration and Plan of Implementation and the Monterrey Consensus, and other outcomes of relevant United Nations Summits".  

Declaration of Principles, World Summit on Information Society, WSIS, Geneva  Dec. 2003

Telecommunication services ceased to be a public task by the beginning of the last decade of the 20^th century.  Since then privatization of telecom services has been the rule and is now the global discipline, which ensued a considerable and piecemeal liberalization of this sector in the global markets. The need for a regulatory authority, nevertheless, is imperative and crucial. This is duly manifest in the formation of the NTC (National Telecommunications Corporation) in Sudan and similar authorities worldwide. Close scrutiny to NTC bylaws derived from the Sudan Telecommunications Act, 2001, reveals that the NTC role, (though presently may seem to be mere patronage in the very strict sense of the word – which is, nevertheless, a pivotal role) subtends and cares for the new national needs and interests basically and generically represented in:

·         The apparent social transformation and the diversification of community segments and interests. That shall call for the judicious management of fair national and international access to the global deluge of data, information, knowledge & Internet. This is to the zeitgeist.

·         The business and market transformation that focuses primarily on services. Modern market transactions are in desperate need for modern ICT (Information & Communication Technology) support. The features of the new economy are so heavily reliant on those services that the sound and sagacious exploitation of the ICT technologies is considered the main key success factor to grow and prosper. Any expected leading or positive role in the socio-economic arena in Sudan will be very much dependent on how the Regulator will conduct and orchestrate the liberated and competitive market for service affordability. 

·         The stringent and pressing national needs for the basic community services in the society. Namely, the areas in which there are noticeable scarcity of resources. (E.g. Medical care & Educational practice.)

And, at the global interest level,

·         Contributing to the widely acclaimed Global economy and the concept of Global village with the ultimate goal of establishing socio- econo-political co-existence at the regional and international level.

·         Paving the way towards the free trade and open market era heralded by the WTO.

·         Interacting with the international organizations that are streamlining the global effort to optimize the benefits from the emerging technologies.

We should realize, on the other hand, that the protection of the competitive market is of high importance to sustain the national policy towards free market economy. That, consequently, invites global funds and let in the transfer of needed technologies and know-how practices in order to accelerate progress, development and welfare. ICT (Information & Communication Technology) dimension, thereof, should be ripe and able enough to assume that perceived role.

The NTC, in turn, being an important official federal body, should identify the ultimate goals and objectives of the national policy to create the new & modern State. NTC is expected to play a pivotal role to attain the required WDI’s (World Development Indicators) set for this country within a conceivable time.¹

The Sudan is classified by the UNCTAD and World Bank as one of the promising nations within the LDC (Least Developed Countries) group. 2.   Such discussion imposes hefty obligations NTC should endeavor, the challenging role of creating the new sense and sensibility needed to promote and foster the new status of the Sudanese individual and the community as a whole. This is a needed premise to deal with the future accumulation of both wealth and knowledge in a so just and unique way that may forestall any potential threat or maladapted conformity to the new realities. In other words, the Sudanese communities and individuals should adapt and acclimatize to new realities and aspects of life that are uniquely introduced via the Info-Com Industry.

So, social welfare and economic development are a natural produce of the implementation of the advancing high Information & Communications technology.

The generally accepted postulates known for the inevitable transition are:

1. Effective Regulator: for the inter-marriage between new technologies and new needs.
2. A dynamic social fabric and structure: The Regulator is expected to co-operate with the relevant federal authorities to mould the new social inter-relations
3. Competitive and liberal environment:

·         Monitoring and adjusting the market forces (players) by proper licensing, correcting, etc.

·         The application of protective measures necessary to perpetuate the healthy competition environment.

·         Checking any rampant behavior by enforcing the Telecommunication Act and its bylaws and performing any necessary amendments or alterations that deem necessary to develop the nascent market.

·         Ensuring the viable prices, quality and effectiveness of the services and customer satisfaction.