Comments

Registration of SIM cards and the deactivation of unregistered SIM cards is a critical aspect that should be discussed widely not just from the financial inclusion perspective but also from a cyber crime and cyber security perspective which will bring confidence and integrity to the digital transactions that would happen through all this efforts. For me, I think the Actors to ensure a smooth migration from unregistered SIMs to registered SIMs is critical but was not managed well. For example, the SIM Card Registration Regulation was gazetted on 22nd April 2016. According to Clause 9 of the Regulation, No Mobile Operator should have been selling pre-activated SIM Cards after the regulations came into force. All the efforts after that date should have been focused on ensuring Active SIM Cards at that point be registered. However, while TPNG and Bemobile pushed for Registration before Activation, Digicel the Major Operator continued to sell Pre-Activated SIM cards. I had bought one during that period and so I know. That simple Act had added to more unregistered SIM cards that were activated in the market. From 2016 up to 2018 I was not seeing any SMS prompts to Activate my SIM. It is only when the Regulator took a hardstand on the issue. This is another example of a market lacking effective competition with a player with significant Market Power (SMP). The SMP does not have any incentives to comply with the regulation and is made worse when the Regulator goes to sleep or does not monitor the implementation of the regulation they have put in place. A sad case but a case that we should learn from so that we are not penalising everybody after 4 years when we have allowed the manageable issue to grow out of proportion. Thanks Ebu Gomana

Dear Mba Miranda, Thank you so much for making this blog particularly this writing about Indonesian AID.

Absolutely agree with you Mclaine on your point raised on development parties driving programs that raise awareness on the importance of votes - at this critical juncture of the country. While I also support the push for reserved seats for women, I also think programs for women participation in Parliament should be held by our development partners during the 5 year period with a pipeline of programs leading up to the NGE. Not 1 year - 6 months before the elections. I also think the 20% candidacy of women in political parties would create further opportunities for women to be voted into Parliament.

You're welcome Dairi, I'm really glad to hear the information has been useful. Terence

Thanks for the response. Please provide some links to the Dr. Brij Lal's dismissal of the theory in U.S or foreign involvement in 1987 coup. Rabuka has sung like a canary on some things but cagey on other relevant details. However some if Rabuka's invitation to the U.S. Congress Prayer breakfast and White House visit [ https://www.fijileaks.com/uploads/1/3/7/5/13759434/published/rabuka-white-house-meeting.jpg?1485734866] , coupled with his statements that the 1987 coup was "God's Plan " does raise eye brows.

Thank You Terence, now I know my electorate Moresby North west electoral information since 1972- 2017

I am fed up with political system in PNG, whereby youths are left out to fend for themselves in all means to make a living. I registered a Political Party for Youth in PNG - PNG Youth Empowerment party to give chance for youth to participate in all developmental progress of the country. However, I do not have fund to launch the party in order to commence awareness campaign throughout PNG before the election commences in 2022. Any one out there please assist me to form next government for the good of young people. I can be contact through email:juliuslpololi@gmail.com

PNG have well qualified and capable women who can outperform men at the political arena. And who can also get elected without given reserved seats based solely on their merits. The only issue is vote-selling and special interest which is prevalent in PNG. To level the playing field to an extent, the very national and international agencies driving the reserved seats should develop programmes that would educate and create awareness on the value of citizens votes and how to determine and elect competent members of Parliament. What PNG is missing and needs right now is not the lack of women representation in parliament but the lack of honest result driven MPs.

Thanks Dr. Amanda and Team. I had commented on your previous post on the same matter and you advised to provide another update in 6 months time and so it is nice to provide this update. For ease of reference, my previous comment on 6th Aug 2020 is reposted below which I believe the regulatory and the market conditions have not changed. +++Comment on 6th Aug 2020 A good study which the regulator and Policy makers need to note. It should be noted that the study was undertaken when the CS2 was completed while the KSCN was still under construction. This is critical as the impact of CS2 is mainly in Port Moresby as the redistribution by the Mobile operator across the country will depend on Microwave or Satellite (no change from last time). Further, Digicel has advocated that cost of international connectivity IP transit only accounts for 5% to 10% of their total cost of delivery. One of the conclusions of the study is “including the need to recover costs from the new domestic cable”. One would ask how much does the price of wholesale Internet needs to drop by before we can see real drops in the retail Internet prices. Such a study needs to be redone after the KSCN is completed and in operation as it does meet some of the high domestic transmission costs in the market today. Having said that, the cables I believe will have a direct impact on the Wholesale segment of the market with more reliable and reduced prices, however, the issues around high retail Internet prices is is a retail competition issue. The study has highlighted an important fact that Digicel controls about 92% of the retail mobile market. Issues, around retail competition need to be addressed like, planning and allocation of mobile spectrum, Mobile number Portability and Co-Location and infrastructure sharing and maybe domestic roaming. Having said that, the new cables under the National Transmission Network (which includes the CS2, KSCN, etc..) under DataCo if DataCo is able to continue its single wholesale Internet pricing across the country irrespective of the province of location, WILL BRING NEW POSSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW REGIONAL ISPs that can provide the competition to the Big 3 operators. Addressing retail competition is keen to see reduction in retail Internet prices. EBU GOMANA +++ I would agree that at the publication of update, there has being little to no movement in the retail data rates. However, with the treat of the entry of a new player since the announcement by Minister Masiu, there seems to be a number of promotions which I believe is aimed at consolidating market share and position before the real war begins. As I had stated earlier, the wholesale internet cost (which CS2 has had a part in reducing) based on Digicel only accounts for 5-10% of its cost of delivering retail internet. The Question is has the Government and its institutions (policy makers, regulators, utility suppliers, law enforcers) taken action to reduce the other costs of doing business in PNG (the 80-90%) including but not limited to: Cost of Power, high domestic travel tariffs, security costs, regulatory and licensing fees and other regulatory interventions in the retail space. I had shared that following the bringing into use of the KSCN and the move by the MNO to move in-country transmission to Fibre to reduce their transmission costs. Further, the barriers for market entry and effective competition in the retail space (Spectrum controlled by only a few operators, no Mobile Number Portability (MNP), no mandatory infrastructure sharing, etc..) still exists today. The Regulator, NICTA concluded in its previous study on MNP to only review MNP if and when Digicel's market share dropped or if another player entered the market. I think it is no secret based on the Minister's announcement of a new entrant which your publication in its conclusion has clearly acknowledged. To Me, this is the KEY DRIVER for RETAIL PRICE REDUCTION. MORE COMPETITION. I think the wholesale supply in terms of pricing interventions and accessibility is ready to support the growth and demand that the retail market will require if the competition barriers are dealt with. However, I have not seen NICTA reopening up the MNP study or revisiting Infrastructure sharing which would remove the barriers to entry and allow effective competition in the market. It seems that we all want a DIFFERENT OUTPUT but do not want to change the INPUT. I am hoping to see the next update as we gear up for the introduction of services by the new entrant as well as the how the new KTH merged operator is positioned as a better and bigger competitor to Digicel. Guys I think there is a price war looming. Ebu Gomana

A thought-provoking article that rises above the finger-pointing and blame game that we often hear, to give clearer and deeper insights into the issues at stake and the direction Fiji needs to move to become a better country. For the younger generation like us, who were not around during the 1987 coup, such a short article provides such deep understandings.

Hi John, Thanks for your comment. Right at the end of the post, in smaller font, is a short data note. (Just before the disclosure section). This note has a link to the data set I created and used. The data set (a spreadsheet) has a link to the online OECD database that I got the data from. The note at the end of the post also has a link to a useful OECD PDF, which has the numbers and also some OECD analysis. Terence

Thank you Holly. I really enjoyed this article. John