We have lost control of UTL-Anite

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Government has lost control of Uganda Telecom. This was revealed by the State Minister for Investment and Privatization Evelyn Anite.

On Thursday, Members of Parliament learnt that the Nigerian firm contacted to revamp UTL, Taleology Holdings GIB Ltd failed to meet its contractual obligations.

URN learnt that after failing to meet the financial obligations of investing 268 billion shillings in UTL as agreed, Bemanya Twebaze the Registrar General of Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) remained as the Administrator of UTL having been appointed in 2017.

However, Twebaze has since reportedly refused UTL operations to be audited by the Auditor General John Muwanga saying that he can only report to court.

During the plenary session, Aringa South MP, Alioni Yorke Odria tabled shocking documents indicating that government’s efforts to carry out accountability audits in UTL have been blocked by the Administrator whom he described as an illegal operator.

Government has 31 percent shares in UTL. Taleology Holdings GIB Ltd that were contracted in October 2018 came as a replacement to Ucom Limited, a Libya based company that owned 69 percent shares but pulled out in February 2017  after mismanagement of the Telecom.

It was after Ucom’s departure that government-appointed Twebaze as administrator of Uganda Telecom to avoid its liquidation.

Odria told parliament that UTL currently has creditors of over 534 billion Shillings including pensioners, loans and others.

He said that despite reports indicating that the Company is making profits, the administrator is not giving way for any accountability from September 2017. Odria revealed that government currently has no accountability about the operations of UTL.

Responding to queries by MPs, Anite revealed that she met with Attorney General William Byaruhanga, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija and Secretary to Treasury Keith Muhakanizi to forge a way forward on how to get accountability from UTL administrator.

She says that in January this year, the Finance Minister wrote a letter to the Auditor General John Muwanga demanding an audit to be carried out on UTL having gone under administration.

According to Anite, the AG wrote back saying that he could not audit the company because it was a court led process.

Anite also explained how the Taleology Holdings GIB Ltd was awarded the contract in October 2018 to manage UTL over the State-founded Mauritius Telecom which had financial capability and muscle to run the company. She said that contracting Taleology was based on its higher proposal to invest in the company.

She said that for not having money to invest in UTL, Taleology technically left shortly after it had been contracted but what is perturbing government is that it does not know the status of the company and how it is operating.

Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga noted that Parliament has previously made recommendations about UTL demanding that government presents a Treasury Memorandum on resolutions made about UTL.

Kadaga was supported by Okot Ogong, the Dokolo South MP who said that whatever is happening in UTL is broad day theft.

Dokolo Woman MP Cecilia Ogwal further revealed that the administrator has failed to comply with all regulations of Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and that there was a need to terminate the administrator’s contract immediately.

Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa questioned the process which awarded the contract to Nigerian Company, Taleology Holdings GIB Ltd demanding that the Auditor General carried out a forensic audit on UTL.

Kadaga said that she will give her ruling on the matter on Tuesday after studying the documents presented before parliament.

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URN