DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) has achieved a major milestone with the conclusion of the Tanzanite Portal system, ushering in an era of streamlined services for communication service providers.
This novel platform effectively integrates communication service providers of varying sizes and scopes throughout Tanzania, thereby improving operational effectiveness and enabling a more open and transparent user experience.
The TCRA Director General Dr Jabiri Bakari said through a statement released in Dar es Salaam on Sunday that Tanzanite Portal is a revolutionary influence of the system.
"It enables TCRA to serve its customers in an unparalleled fashion by integrating communication services applications and services, offering a comprehensive array of services with simplicity and user friendliness," he said.
Dr Bakari stated that the state-of-the-art regulatory system significantly improves registration processes for communication products and services. This includes facilitating the issuance of communication sector licences across various subsector categories such as Telecommunication, Internet, Postal, and Broadcasting.
Moreover, the system has been enhanced to streamline fees payment procedures, management of customer-regulator feedback and performing Know Your Customer administrative procedures, among other essential system attributes.
"The system represents a transformative shift, and we are confident that it will enhance delivery of regulatory services, ensuring our stakeholders feel well-served," he added.
Dr Bakari highlighted the enhanced customer experience, emphasising a singular application window for all licence types, certification of electronic devices, a robust residential address database and a dedicated service desk for handling customer complaints.
"The system allows for the submission of licence applications without the need for physical visits to TCRA offices, a notable advancement in convenience," noted he.
The Director General emphasised that, Tanzanite Portal plays a crucial role in facilitating efficient planning, allocation, and tracking of postal codes for residential addresses. It not only manages customer feedback but also provides licensed service providers with essential regulatory information, thereby streamlining interactions and ensuring prompt responses.
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He further highlighted that the system promotes a heightened level of transparency and accountability within the regulatory environment.
Dr Bakari emphasised the significance of the system in simplifying the approval process for electronic devices (Online Type Approval). Notably, citizens and communication licence holders can now verify the legitimacy of services using a mobile phone through the USSD code *150*52#, ensuring control over unauthorised communication service providers.
Stakeholders in the communication sector, encompassing online news content providers and installers of electronic communication devices, expressed their commendation for TCRA due to its forward-thinking approach.
Lucas Masanja, a communication service provider with operations in Dar es Salaam and Mbeya, particularly acknowledged the platform's remarkable capability to alleviate the inconvenience associated with licence application and renewal. He emphasised that this streamlined process would significantly enhance the efficiency of licence-related procedures.
An online content stakeholder and journalist, Chalila Kibuda lauded TCRA's commitment to positive reforms, expressing optimism about the platform potential to substantially aid online journalists in acquiring licences and essential information.
Mr Kibuda anticipates that this initiative will play a crucial role in facilitating a smoother and more accessible licensing process, ultimately benefitting the broader landscape of online journalism.
The updates followed routine press briefings by the regulatory DG, who has established a practice of quarterly press briefings for journalists regarding sector trends and providing them with up-to-date sector performance reports that are simultaneously accessible on the regulator's websites.
