Dr. Imad Hoballah, Acting Chairman and CEO of the TRA addressed TRA staff members earlier today while reiterating the TRA mission and prerogatives.

He said:

Dear Colleagues,

I am addressing you today at a crucial moment where I find it necessary to recapitulate the steps ahead of us and their impact on the TRA’s goals and efforts to develop the telecommunications sector in Lebanon.

The TRA during the past three years has witnessed and undergone through many challenges and difficulties, the most recent one being the resignation of Dr. Kamal Shehadi that saddened all of us. However, two options are available:

1 - we give up and miss out the most important challenge ahead of us, namely the development of the telecommunications sector through institution building of a unique model in the Lebanese public sector

2 - or move forward and succeed in our plans to develop the sector and build a successful institution based on the values we all believe in. Our values are based on citizenship, professionalism, transparency, honesty and the devotion to serve Lebanese consumers and the growth of the Lebanese economy towards a bright future.

I am confident, with my colleagues of the Board (Engineers. Mrs. Mahassen Ajam and Mr. Patrick Eid), that each one of you understands the importance of our work to develop the telecom sector in Lebanon and more specifically in terms consumers right protection,  the promotion of competition, the creation of investment opportunities, the monitoring of market performance, and much more.

I also believe in each and everyone’s capabilities, devotion and experience that you all have proven during the past three years.

I have full trust and confidence in the TRA and its members and I strongly believe that the continuity of our institution is based on the continuous efforts of the team and we will jointly succeed by defining our priorities, organizing our internal work and framing our external relation, and we will give the example to other public organizations of a modern, effective and successful institution

We will look at these difficult conditions as an opportunity to work actively, and reiterate our internal and external priorities:

I - TRA internal priorities

1 – Continuing the efforts to build the institution through: 

• providing a stable work environment, reviewing available solution and selecting the most appropriate ones to be implemented
• promoting internal communications, breaking down barriers, sharing experiences and knowledge between units, defining a clear action plan including the role of each individual and his/her contribution to the success of our institution
• developing clear and automated administrative procedures
• supplying the TRA with the latest equipments and the best in-class procedures
• concentrating the efforts on training the TRA team based on international standards

2 – Effectively working on enhancing the TRA relation with the MoT while developing highest levels of cooperation in order to develop, liberalize and modernize the market

3 – Emphasizing on consumer protection through the development of the institution’s ability to receive and handle complaints and make sure operators abide by TRA regulations (consumer protection regulation, EMF regulation, Code of Practice for value-added services).

4 – Following -up on market, legal and technical studies, in order to issue regulations and ensure market requirements.

5 – Interacting with stakeholders via the TRA website, seminars, conferences, various media vehicles, and cooperating with all public institutions

6 – Effectively interacting with the private sector pr and investors in order to develop the market and implement best in-class services

II - The telecommunications market development priorities:

1 – To work constructively and effectively on developing and improving the relationship with the Ministry of Telecommunications and to strengthen the cooperation between the two entities to liberalize the telecommunications market in order to:

• Accelerate the dissemination of advanced services at affordable prices
• Clarify and develop the sector public policy to ensure its success
• Make sure Telecommunications Law 431/2002 is being applied
• Ensure an encouraging investment environment
• Facilitate a smooth and fast transition of the Authority’s remaining prerogatives

2 – To maintain a good level of communication with the decision-makers (the Council of Ministers, the parliament, the opinion makers in the media, the civil society and others) as well as all the institutions and public administrations in order to:

• Build awareness around the strategic goals, the execution plans, the regulations and field work as well as all the other projects the Authority is and will be working on.
• Ensure the independence of the Authority from any political or other pressure
• Strengthening the Authority’s Human resources (by raising the number of employees from 40 to 75), the financial resources (by getting the Authority’s budget approved and ensuring the necessary transfers) and equipment resources (Quality of Service measuring and monitoring equipments, and spectrum management control systems)

3 – To define Broadband as a national priority (as declared in the Ministerial Statement and in application of the general sector policy) and to highlight the Authority’s achievements and current efforts in ensuring fair competition and protecting consumers’ rights. Such fair competition requires developed networks and services and a solid framework that ensures confidentiality of information and subscribers privacy. To do so, the TRA has to:

• Maintain its efforts in organizing and allocating spectrum as a rare national resource, to create new jobs and investment opportunities for current licensed operators and new investors, to grant long-term licenses, impose necessary conditions to ensure networks development and security, secure the necessary coverage and respect the Quality of Service regulation among others that guarantee the Lebanese consumer’s rights.
  With a broad vision in mind for true and equitable competition and transparent investment, the TRA will strive to follow this path and accomplish its core mission being: “To ensure consumers’ rights in accessing the best and most sophisticated services at the lowest prices available."
  
  
• Prepare for National Broadband licensing, and convince the decision-makers to combine their efforts to the Authority's efforts in order for Lebanon its leading position. The TRA has to also benefit from the successful experiences of the countries that have adopted fair competition and have therefore fulfilled the needs of their citizens in advanced communications services.

While I am aware of the challenges the TRA is facing, I hereby promise you a fresh new start, and I rely on God and myself, as well as my fellow members and every one of you to join our efforts, hand in hand, to start a new phase built on our trust in a bright future for the telecommunications market, and in real evolution and sustainable growth in the economy of our country.

I remain open and available to your suggestions, so please do not hesitate to come up to me with your comments. Let us share knowledge and maintain a good level of communication to achieve what I and my colleagues at the Board are convinced of.

The TRA was, still is, and will remain the core of a typical public institution. We will carry on with what we have started and we will succeed, as a united ambitious team, to develop the telecommunications sector in Lebanon in the near future.

Thank you,
Imad Hoballah