Post Courier ran this story yesterday (14th May 2014) which I suspect it was in response to the many questions asked regarding the lack of information about the companies background in the industry. By GORETHY KENNETH Dubai-based mobile company that has recently entered the Papua New Guinea mobile market is ready to kick start its project next month with K100 million already budgeted for its mobilisation program. Awal Telecommunications Corporation Ltd’s PNG director Johnfeely Sakumai told the Post-Courier yesterday that the company is ready to roll out in June. The company executives are scheduled to be in PNG at the end of this month to meet with the Government to present their overall project plan. Mr Sakumai said they are coming to spend K800 million on communication and they also have plans to roll out many more programs like that free trade in Manus and others. He also said they will build a skyscraper office apart from setting up all their towers in all regions of PNG. He also rubbished reports criticising the company’s chief executive officer as being a very young person just out of university, describing the reports as shallow. Mr Sakumai said Sakib Mahabubur Rahman is the CEO for Awal International Holdings which is the mother company of A-Tel and AWAL PNG will see its own CEO, a very experienced person, arrive in country next month. You see, as we speak, Sakib is meeting with executives of British Telecom and Vodafone in London because they want to go into agreement for mobile operation in Columbia, Mr Sakumai said. This company, which I am a partner of, is also registered with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), since we have been given licences in PNG. ITU membership represents a cross-section of the global ICT sector, from the world’s largest manufacturers and carriers to small, innovative players working with new and emerging technologies, ITU currently has a membership of 193 countries and over 700 private-sector entities and academic institutions. ITU is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. We are in Netherlands, Germany, Mauritius and now working on Columbia and we are in several other countries. We are not trying to compete with the other mobile companies here, but we just want to provide service to places where there is no coverage, he said. We have worked on this from October last year when we started applying for our licenses and were granted in March this year. He said international communication companies have been talking with Awal about doing business in PNG and portrayed a negative image of the country but they opted to take the risk. Mr Sakumai said that there are also PNG companies that have already shown their interest to partner with Awal PNG but this is something they will have to discuss. He said that a detailed report would be made later this month. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Given that this an official response from the company lets take a close look at the details of what was stated on record. 1) Firstly it is not typical practice for directors to make media statements on behalf of the company, that role is assumed by the CEO or media spokesperson. 2) The company has budgeted K100m to roll out in June. - The word budget is very a loose word. Used at initial stages of a project. The proper word would have been the company has committed K100m and the funds are being transferred to PNG as we speak. Because they did say they are starting in June which is only 15 days away. 3) The Director makes mention they also have plans to roll out many more programs like that free trade in Manus and others. They will build a skyscraper office - Since when does a mobile company focus on free trade and building skyscrapers??? 4) He rubbished reports criticising the company’s CEO as being a very young person just out of university, describing the reports as shallow. - So he is not disputing it?? If he is very experienced what reputable global companies has he worked for? Provide Post Courier a copy of his CV or post it on the companies website. The CV will confirm where and when he graduated. 5) As we speak, Sakib is meeting with executives of British Telecom and Vodafone in London because they want to go into agreement for mobile operation in Columbia. - So he is meeting with British Telecom and Vodafone so what? He should be saying his company has existing partnerships with them not we are meeting with them? Or is the meeting because AWAL recently obtained a mobile license in PNG which was the purpose of the meeting, maybe to sell the license?? 6) The company, which he is a partner of, is also registered with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), since we have been given licences in PNG. - So what he is saying is that he used the licence in PNG to obtain ITU Membership. 7) ITU membership represents a cross-section of the global ICT sector, from the world’s largest manufacturers and carriers to small, innovative players working with new and emerging technologies, ITU currently has a membership of 193 countries and over 700 private-sector entities and academic institutions.ITU is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. We are in Netherlands, Germany, Mauritius and now working on Columbia and we are in several other countries. - Notice that there was more information given about ITU then AWAL. 9) We are not trying to compete with the other mobile companies here, but we just want to provide service to places where there is no coverage, - When a company that claims to invest up to K800m states they are not here to compete with other established companies you know you should be worried. 10) He said international communication companies have been talking with Awal about doing business in PNG and portrayed a negative image of the country but they opted to take the risk - Yes many international communication companies are reluctant to invest in PNG because they refused pay bribes to obtain licenses. - The question is so how did AWAL manage to get their licence. 11) There are also PNG companies that have already shown their interest to partner with Awal PNG but this is something they will have to discuss. - Would any of these PNG companies by chance be connected to any Politicians or persons who helped AWAL get its license???
Posted on: Thu, 15 May 2014 00:42:06 +0000
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