“Decree Reinforces Role Played By The Board”

The President of the Republic issued a decree on the reorganization and functioning of the Telecommunications Regulatory Board. What does this act of the Head of State actually bring to the Board?
This decree reinforces the role the Board plays in the development of the Digital Economy in the country. In a sector like the Electronic Communications where there’s a high velocity of change in technology as well as in the services offered, it equally gives the Board the possibility of playing a more relevant role in responding to the needs of the sector which is now faced with the complex issue of convergence of electronic networks and services.
In the corporate world financial autonomy is key and makes a corporation more relevant. This new element will facilitate and simplify the Board’s ability to acquire the vital equipment and tools indispensable for its main mission. 
Article 41 of the decree gives the Board a financial boost. The former decree stated that in the event of a budget surplus, the Board of Directors allocated all or part of it to the Special Telecommunications Fund. In line with the new provisions the Agency is now entitled to 50% of the surplus to enable it acquire regulation and control equipment.   
This new special status also simplifies the procedures for the acquisition of equipment and tools to enable the Board carry out its missions. While the Board awarded contracts under the provisions of the Public Contracts regulations in the old dispensation, today the Board of Directors has been empowered to oversee the procedures and execution of contracts within the Board in conformity with the rules applicable in the public contracts sector. 
Furthermore, in the past, the Agency has had issues of enforcing sanctions meted out to defaulters. Besides its mission to regulate and control henceforth it has the powers of investigation, injunction, coercion and sanction.  The monetary sanctions imposed on defaulters can now be applied directly and with immediate effect, notwithstanding an eventual contest from the debtor. 
The Board is now endowed with greater powers. What vision do you have of this enlargement of your missions?
Our vision is to be more present, more operational and effective in carrying out our missions. The enlargement of our missions reinforces the role the Board plays in the sector and particularly permits it to see to the development of the digital economy in the country. This is in conformity with the vision of the Head of State, President Paul Biya which is being implemented by the Prime Minister, Head of Government. 
The new responsibilities entrusted to the Director General enables the Board to have more control over the performances of the actors of the sector which is getting more challenging with the current converging environment. The expansion of digital technologies has dramatically changed the way in which Electronic Communication services are delivered to and accessed by consumers. This new status will enable the Board to apply its new model of regulation founded on consistent controls and effective follow-up. 
The reorganization of TRB now gives the preferential right of the treasury. What exactly is that for a structure like this?
TRB ensures for the State, the mission of recovery that ensures the viability of other stakeholders of the sector such as the National Agency of Information and Communication Technologies (ANTIC), the Interministerial Committee for the Attribution of Frequency Bands (CIABAF) and the public treasury.  
With the new dispositions, the Board is now under two accounting systems. The law of 2017 to lay down the general rules and regulations governing public establishments and the OHADA Uniform Act relating to Commercial Companies and Economic Interest Groups adopted in 2014.
Part of our mission is to ...