NTC failed to collect P5.7B in fees–COA

MANILA, Philippines—The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) failed to collect P5.75 billion in fees and penalties in 2010, depriving the government of the chance to make use of the revenues, the Commission on Audit (COA) said.

Some of the uncollected fees are tied up in legal battles, the COA noted.

These fees were supposed to have been collected by the NTC’s common carriers authorization department (CCAD), radio regulations and licensing department (RRLD), broadcast services department (BSD) and commission secretariat.

The uncollected amounts consist of supervision and regulations fees, spectrum users’ fees, renewal or extension of provisional authority and other fines and penalties.

One of the cases involving the uncollected fees has gone all the way up to the Supreme Court. Another is being heard by the NTC’s legal department, while some are the subject of appeals.

The CCAD logged the biggest uncollected amount as of end-2010, at P3.97 billion, followed by the RRD, with P1.7 billion, the BSD with P37.58 million and the commission secretariat with P8.64 million.

The failure of the NTC management to expeditiously resolve all pending cases and to collect the arrearages of the telecommunication and broadcast companies and individuals of the fees, fines and penalties robbed the government of the chance to utilize these revenues, the COA said.