MPTC to play a bigger role

The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications of Cambodia (MPTC) is the Royal Government entity, exercising the overall responsibility on the postal services and telecommunications sector in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Postal services:

The Postal Law was promulgated on July 11, 2002.

All types of postal services and business activities in the Kingdom of Cambodia shall be under the competence, leadership and management of the MPTC.

MPTC is responsible for determining postal service charges, printing stamps, aerograms and postcards for the use of postage meters in the postal services.

MPTC is also responsible for determining the service charges and settling the international service charges between other countries in the world, in accordance with the Universal Postal Convention by means of a monetary unit, the exchange rate of which shall be determined by the International Monetary Fund.

MPTC is the only institution empowered to issue licenses to private postal service businesses.

MPTC and National Bank of Cambodia shall determine the procedures for money transfer from one country to another and the exchange rate to send and receive money orders.

Currently, the MPTC is still considering on the restructuring of the ministry by focusing on the creation of the public sector enterprise for the operation and provision of postal services, which are separated from the regulatory responsibilities, policies making and administrative functions of the ministry.

Telecommunications:

A draft of Telecommunication Law, which was adopted by the Council of Ministers in March 2006, was submitted to the National Assembly on April 2006 for consideration and was returned to the Royal Government for further review and amendment.

The Royal Government of Cambodia, recognizing the importance of telecommunications to national and economic development, has formulated a national policy for the development of the Telecommunication Sector and for the delivery of efficient, cost-effective and affordable telecommunications services to the people of Cambodia.

The principal aim of the National Telecommunications Policy is to ensure that telecommunications networks and services in Cambodia are developed and operated in a manner which will best serve and contribute to the overall national, social and economic development and advancement of Cambodia.

The overall long-term objective of the Royal Government is to make efficient and affordable telecommunication services available as widely as possible in Cambodia.

To attain this objective, the Royal Government has implemented extensive change in the supervision of the sector to create a framework that is conducive and supportive of efficient development consistent with international best practices and Cambodia's international obligations.

To create a supportive policy framework, the Royal Government of Cambodia will:

establish fair and transparent regulation in the telecommunication sector that is independent of the technology used in the delivery of services;

ensure effective separation of responsibilities for policy making, regulation and ownership and operation of telecommunications network and service provision;

establish an autonomous regulator to supervise and regulate the telecommunication sector;

introduce regulation to compel telecommunications network and telecommunications services providers to interconnect and share the use of facilities;

liberalize the telecommunication sector in an orderly manner; and

introduce a Universal Service Program to organize provision of services where necessary or desirable.

(China Daily 04/10/2008 page29)