QoS: Telecoms equipments still missing in new CBN’s list of 36 unbanned items for forex
Chances of improvements in the Quality of Service (QoS) by telecoms operators was further dimmed yesterday as the new list of items, for which importers can source foreign exchange (forex) failed to contain telecoms and IT related materials.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Thursday published a list of items, for which importers can source foreign exchange (Forex) from the market, but checks by Business Hilights showed that none of the IT/Telecoms related items were included.
This means that the federal government has failed to listen to the prayers of the members and President of the Association of telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engineer Olusola Teniola to exclude telecoms equipments so that operators can access forex to buy items needed to upgrade networks and telecoms infrastructure nationwide.
ATCON in unison during the recent 2017 AGM called on the government to do the needful by excluding IT equipments from the list of 41 restricted items for forex access.
It would be recalled that there had been rising complains of poor QoS both in voice and data and operators had hinged the cause to poor access to forex to import equipments for systems upgrade and network expansion.
In a circular signed by Director, Trade and Exchange, W.D Gotring,the CBN had sent the new list of 36 categories, to all authorised dealers, Nigeria Customs and the public.
Gorting explained that the list became necessary, following misconceptions and enquiries across market on items that are “Valid for Foreign Exchange”.
The items include animal or vegetable fats and oils fractions, hydrogenated- not including palm oil/ olein and margarine; prepared glues and adhesive based polymers of headings 39.01 to 39.13 or on rubber; other plates, sheets, film, foil, and strip of polymers of ethylene printed – only for pharmaceutical and manufacturing.
Others are bobbins, spools, cops and similar supports of paper or paperboard used for winding textile yarn; uncoated kraft paper and board, in rolls, uncoated kraft paper and board, in rolls, paper coated with kaolin (China clay), synthetic filament, artificial filament, woven fabrics of synthetic filament yarn, including woven fabrics obtained from material polypropylene fabrics, of the type used as carpet backing.
The list also includes glass in balls, rods or tubes, unworked, float glass, coloured throughout the mass opacified, flashed or merely surface ground only for pharmaceutical manufacturing, non-domestic heating/cooling equipment, non-electric water heaters among others.
