TTCL to produce phones locally

THE Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) has announced its intention to establish a plant to manufacture telephone and related gadgetry locally. The firm announced its plans at a function to launch its mobile cash services which will trade as TTCL PESA.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Waziri Kindamba, broke the news during the TTCL PESA launch at TTCL headquarters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, an event which was attended by Vice-President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other key officials from the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications and Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA).

Asked by this paper on the investments of the project, the CEO was brief: “It’s 25 per cent of $300m,” which works out to $75m.

Early this year, China’s state owned Datang Telecom International Technology company announced it was giving TTCL some $300m (over 600bn/-) to enable its technological capacity and become a leader in East and Central Africa’s communication industry.

Kindamba said TTCL was in talks with strategic partners, which he didn’t disclose, saying the talks were still at their preliminary stages.

“The advantage of producing phones and gadgets in the country is that an ordinary person can get own smartphones for as cheap as at 40,000/- to 50,000/-…. these are phones that we are buying at 100,000/- and above,” said the newly appointed CEO.

“… the government’s focus now is on industrialization … and we have invested a lot of effort to help it to realize this by providing quality and affordable communication services ….. but also we have planned … within this fifth phase government, to set up plants to make phones and related gadgets,” the TTCL chief added.

Speaking on the newly launched TTCL PESA, Kindamba said despite its low start-up cost that will benefit customers save ten to 50 per cent, the agents of its mobile cash services would earn up to 50 per cent of profit compared to existing players.

The TTCL CEO also said the firm’s mobile cash would be available to its subscribers by dialling *150*71 (hash) promising to work within three to four years to cope with other competitors who spend up to 15 years to be at their recent positions in the market.

He told VP Samia Suluhu Hassan that TTCL PESA would simplify the payment system including tax, serving farmers and herders from robbers – because they need not walk with bulk cash and thereby fuel the country’s economic growth, create job opportunities and tax revenues.

Engineer Omari Nundu, the TTCL chairman of board of directors said the firm has estab lished the TTCL PESA by adhering to the National Payments Systems Act 2015 and other regulations promising the VP that “under my leadership and that of CEO Waziri Kindamba, we will make whatever we can to help TTCL to reclaim its top position.”

“We are happy to realize this dream because the TTCL PESA service trial on June 4, 2017 involving TTCL staff was extremely successful,” said Mr Nundu, also thanking responsible ministry and other public agencies for facilitating smooth registration of the TTCL mobile money transfer services.

On the other side, VP Samia admitted that the company has sailed through difficulties due to embezzlement and unproductive partnership that forced the government to buy the 35 per cent of shares owned by Bhart Airtel worth 14.9bn/- as the strategy to revamp the firm.

She said a stronger TTCL would improve other sectors including industry, the major focus of the current administration. “The launching of the TTCL PESA is a success that impresses. TTCL PESA will help wananchi to send and receive money to and from other service providers at low cost.

It will help them paying electricity bills through LUKU, water and decoders, buying airtime, TTCL bundles and data,” Ms Samia noted.