Digi Mobil. Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, have negotiated intensively in recent weeks with the Romanian Government after the adoption of GEO 114/2018, and today the Minister of Communications made a very important announcement for all Romanians. More precisely, the Minister of Communications announced that following the negotiations with Digi Mobil, and the rest of the telecommunications operators, he reached an agreement regarding certain changes to be made to replace the 3% tax on turnover.
Digi Mobil. Those from the Government say that ANCOM is going to be left without that budget surplus because of which the old 0.4% tax was not charged, and in this situation, the operators will have to pay. Now the minister says that although the turnover tax will remain in force, it should not be reflected in the invoices that Digi Mobil, or other telecommunications companies, will issue with higher prices for Romanians, but in the case of RCS & RDS it's already too late.
Digi Mobile. Telekom, Orange, Vodafone, GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT for all Romanians
Digi Mobil. Moreover, it seems that certain concessions were made regarding the auction for 5G frequencies, so that the value for each frequency reflects its commercial importance, not the one calculated by those in the ministry. Apart from that, it seems that Digi Mobil, along with the rest of the companies, would also benefit from an "adjustment" of certain commissions imposed for the auction of 5G frequencies, so that in the end they should not pay too much for them.
I kept in touch all the time with the operators in the mobile phone market, I had 1-on-1 discussions, but also with the Association of Mobile Telephony Operators. There were a series of amendments that the operators wanted, we negotiated them and we reached, I think, a point where we find ourselves. It follows that the ordinance on telecommunications, with the amendments discussed, will be integrated and centralized, so that even on Monday (March 4, 2019, no) I will be present at 'Prime Minister's Hour', together with Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă. I think there are prerequisites to move forward from this point and further create and develop the IT&C system as it should be. What we discussed with the mobile operators was, on the one hand, a reallocation and redistribution of frequencies so that they are also found according to the commercial value of each frequency, and I think we have reached an agreement that will replace certain tax impositions in view of an auction. There is also the possibility that on certain types of frequency we may regulate certain imposed commissions. What I can assure you is that as long as I am minister, everything goes to public consultation, absolutely every document related to the successful course of the 5G tender will be in public consultation.
Digi Mobil. GEO 114/2018 has already been tacitly adopted by the Senate, and will go through the Chamber of Deputies, where it will either be adopted by vote, or still tacitly, but apparently, there will not be any discussion on its topic. From what this minister is saying now, a new emergency ordinance would be issued to fix what the first one damaged, so that Digi Mobil, plus the other companies, would have their grievances fulfilled through him.
Digi Mobil. Having said that, it is not known to what extent all the wishes of the telecommunications companies will be fulfilled, but it is clear that certain concessions have been made to satisfy them to a certain extent.
