OREANDA-NEWS. February 27, 2008. The EBRD is continuing its support for the development of the telecoms sector in the Kyrgyz Republic with financing to help provide a modernised framework for the industry that is consistent with international norms, reported the press-centre of EBRD.  

The EBRD’s technical cooperation funds are being used to assist the authorities in the revision of the 1998 Law on Electronic Communications and Posts .The revised law should facilitate an improved pricing structure, a wider choice of service and better quality.

Work on this project began in December 2007 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

The 1998 Telecom Law, which was based on international best practice at the time, was a crucial part of the early liberalisation of the Kyrgyz telecoms sector and supported the introduction of competition. Amendments to the law are now urgently required for several reasons:

To clarify the roles of the regulator and other institutions impacting the sector.

To better enable the Kyrgyz Republic to comply with relevant WTO commitments.

To better reflect the significant developments in the Kyrgyz market since the 1998.

To better reflect advances in international best practice since 1998.

The amendments are being developed under the direction of a working group led by the Ministry of Transport and Communications and the NCA. This working group includes representatives of telecommunications operators and other relevant sector stakeholders. Assistance will be provided by Great Village International Consultants and the international law firm McCarthy Tetrault, both based in Canada. These consultants are being funded by the EBRD Early Transition Countries Fund.

The working group will conduct a public consultation process to ensure that the views of individuals and interested stakeholders are considered in developing the amendments to the 1998 Telecom Law.