He is assisted by the Deputy Director of Legal Services and the Deputy Director of Consumer Affairs. Other personnel of the Directorate include a Consumer Affairs Manager, a Legal Services Officer and an Executive Assistant.

 

Policy and Legislation

The Authority uses the following as its working documents –

• The Communications Sector Policy Statement of 2013;
• The Communications Act; and
• Operator licences

Currently the Communications Act is under review to accommodate technological advances that have occurred since the Act was enacted in 1998. After the revision of the Communications Act, some licences shall also be reviewed to be in tandem with the new law.

Apart from review of the Communications Act, the Authority is in the process of developing regulations to enhance the regulatory framework of the ICT industry.

 

Mandate
The mandate of the Legal Directorate s cuts across all the departments of the Authority and includes the following –

• Preparing for Board meetings, processing Board minutes and resolutions and following up on the execution of Board resolutions;
• Drafting, telecommunications, radio, broadcasting and postal licences, regulations and guidelines
• Conducting litigation on behalf of the Authority;
• Conducting general legal research, and rendering advisory opinions
• Enforcement of the law, regulations and licences;
• Arbitration, mediation and conciliation over operator and consumer disputes;
• Negotiating and executing various contracts on behalf of the Authority;
• Consumer protection; and
• Providing overall oversight support to other departments to ensure that decisions are made within the law.

Programmes
Currently, the Directorate is involved in several projects including the following –

• Review of the Communications Act;
• Development of broadcasting, postal and telecommunications regulations; and
• Development of new operator licences.

Consumer Affairs Unit