KABUL, August 19 (Online): Five more cell-phone companies have expressed their willingness to launch services in Afghanistan, officials told Pajhwok Afghan News.
Al-Kozay, National Kam International, Watan Mobile Company, and two firms from Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are ready to launch operations in Afghanistan, where Roshan and the Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC) are already active.
Earlier, the Communication Ministry had announced 80 companies were interested in getting licenses for launching services in Afghanistan. But in the final analysis, five of them have stepped forward to accept the government's terms and conditions.
In mid-June, the ministry had said the government would permit two more mobile companies to function, on terms and conditions different from those agreed with Roshan and AWCC.
Communication Minister Amirzai Sangeen, speaking at a conference here the other day, said the ministry would accept applications from more private companies after August 25. He added offers given by the five cell-phone companies would be reviewed and only two would be issued work licenses.
Companies with more experience, resources, expertise in the field and readiness to pay greater profit shares to the government would be allowed to operate, he continued, hoping the step would increase domestic revenue besides spurring competition among entrepreneurs.
Regarding the existing number of Afghan consumers, Sangeen said three per cent of the country's population used the cell-phone facility while the number might go up in January next.
The AWCC and Roshan had paid $16 million to the government, but the revenues would touch $50 million with the arrival of more companies over the next five years, the minister reckoned.
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