NTC losing P4M from uncollected radio fees
The regional office of the National Telecommunications Commission lost P4 million when it failed to collect license fees from owners of communications equipment and mobile phone service outlets operating without permits.
In its annual audit report of NTC operations last year, the Commission on Audit has found out that many of those who had been granted with Radio Station Licenses in the past years have failed to renew their permits; and that despite this, the NTC officials did not initiate any move to compel them to settle their obligations.
NTC-7 regional director Danny Sy explained that the term “Radio Station Licenses” were granted by their office to persons, company or local government units who legally operate communications equipment such as Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency which were very popular in the past few years.
Unlike mobile phones wherein the user needs to pay for his load to be able to transmit text messages or to call other cellular phone users, those who possess and use VHF and UHF radio equipment can communicate to other holders of similar kind of equipment by paying the so-called “spectrum users fee” every year.
Sy explained that when cell phones became the popular mode of communications here and the rest of the region, many of those who had been granted with radio station licenses have stopped using their obsolete means of communication and shifted to cell phone use.
The state auditors said that the correct procedure is that those who choose to stop using their obsolete means of communication should secure permits from the NTC to allow them to retain with them such equipment.
COA said that it is the responsibility of the NTC regional offices to monitor and inspect radio stations and telecommunication facilities to ensure that these are operating with valid licenses. “If a radio station plans to cease operation, it should apply for permit to possess radio equipment for storage,” the state auditors said.
For his part, Sy explained that it would be difficult for them to trace the concerned persons because they could no longer be located at their given addresses as indicated in their respective licenses.
Most of those who had been issued with the so-called Radio Station Licenses include individuals who only own one unit of handheld VHF or UHF radio set whose purpose of acquiring them is only to gain more friends.
COA said had the NTC collected the supposed fees from those holders of said communication equipment, it had already earned at least P3.5 million based on the lists of owners of the communication equipment.
Another discrepancy that was uncovered by the COA is the failure of the NTC-7 to impose fines against mobile phone service outlets operating in
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