NTC reports P2 billion in revenues

By Erwin Oliva - INQUIRER.net

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has collected close to P2 billion in revenues to date, the agency said.

As of October 1, 2007, NTC Deputy Commissioner Jorge Sarmiento said that the agency's revenue collection has reached P1,980,805,854.

"This is already above the P1.8 billion target set by the NTC for the period," the agency said in a separate statement it issued Monday.

The NTC is expecting to collect some P200 million more by year's end, raising its projected revenues to P2.180 billion, Sarmiento added.

Last year, the NTC has also collected about P2.1B in revenues.

The NTC said it derives income from spectrum user's fees, supervision and regulatory fees , and from the payment for various licenses and permits needed to operate a telephone company (landline and cellular), a television, radio or cable company.

"All these revenues go back to the National Treasury," Sarmiento said.

NTC Commissioner Ruel Canobas said in a statement that the agency is thinking of increasing its revenue collection by encouraging broadband connectivity in under-served areas in the country.