Friday, May 25, 2012
By Shereen El Gazzar
Of ZAWYA DOW JONES
DUBAI (Zawya Dow Jones)--Etisalat Nigeria, a unit that is 40% owned by UAE-based Emirates Telecommunications Co. (ETISALAT.AD), or Etisalat, has asked the local regulator to postpone the deadline for a $2.25 million fine imposed for poor-quality services in the country, the unit's chief executive said Friday.
"The deadline was today [May 25], but operators have not paid the fines requested to the regulator and asked to extend the deadline until there's a proper review to the KPIs [key performance indicators] and methodologies agreed with the operators over the quality target," Steven Evans told Zawya Dow Jones by telephone.
This month, the Nigerian regulator handed down fines to Etisalat Nigeria, India's Bharti Airtel Ltd. (532454.BY), local operator Globacom and South Africa's MTN Group Ltd. (MTN.JO).
"The operators fell that it is inappropriate for these fines to levied and asked for the deadline to be extended," Evans said, adding that the regulator will reply early next week.
Etisalat's African operations contributed 678 million dirhams ($184.6 million) out of the company's overall revenue of AED8.20 billion for 2012's first quarter.
Etisalat is facing other difficulties in its overseas operations--its Indian operation had its license withdrawn after complaints of corruption.
-By Shereen El Gazzar, Dow Jones Newswires; +971 444 61684;Shereen.elgazzar@dowjones.com; Twitter: @ZDJnews
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
25-05-12 1637GMT
