NTC exceeds income goal

MANILA, Philippines — The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has surpassed its 2018 income target on the back of concerted efforts to strictly enforce stakeholders’ compliance in remitting spectrum users’ fees, supervision and regulation fees, and penalties.

NTC exceeded its collection by P1.66 billion as of Dec. 15.

This year’s collection goal was set at P4.56 billion by the Development Budget Coordination Committee while actual collection amounted to P6.23 billion.

It was the third straight year under the Duterte administration that the NTC exceeded its collection target.

“Exceeding our target for the past three years is the NTC’s way of showing its full support to the national government and the public service programs pushed by President Duterte,”  NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said.

NTC regulates stakeholders such as cable and commercial television operators, broadcast radio stations, telecommunications companies, and two-way radio operators.

The accomplishment also coincides with the regulator’s active role in naming the country’s third telco this year.

Last Nov. 7, the NTC declared the Mislatel consortium as the provisional new major player in the telecommunications industry after its offer was the only one of three bids that was found complete and qualified.

On Nov. 19, the Mislatel consortium, composed of  Udenna Corp., Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp., China Telecom and Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co. Inc., was awarded as the new major telco player by the government.