Prangkisa ng 2 sister companies ng Now Telecom nabitin ng P2.6B utang
Hindi na muna inaprubahan ng Committee on Public Services ang franchise application ng NOW Cable and News and Entertainment Network Corporation (NEWSNET) – sister company ng NOW Telecom.
Ang NOW Telecom ay may P2.6 bilyong pagkakautang sa gobyerno dahil sa hindi pagbabayad ng supervision and regulation fees (SRF) and penalties.
“For now, and I don’t want anymore to delay this [public hearing], we will have to defer this one,” sabi ni Poe.
Nang isalang ang franchise application ng NOW Cable, inusisa ni Poe ang isyu ng ownership at tinanong kung ang mga dating tao pa rin ang nagpapatakbo ng NOW Telecom na inamin naman ni Atty. Henry Abes, pangulo ng parent company NOW Corporation na, “Yes, it’s the same owners”.
“You see, the same owners of NOW Broadcast or NOW Cable are also the owners of NOW Telco. I have to bring this up because the characters behind it is also crucial to whether or not they will be given a trust by Congress for a franchise,” paliwanag ni Poe.
Dahil ang pagbibigay prangkisa ay isang pribiliheyo, sinabi ni Poe na kailangang pagkatiwalan ang mga karakter sa likod ng franchise application.
Aniya, ang hindi pagbabayad ng P5,000 penalty sa Securities and Exchange Commission ay isang basehan mismo para hindi pagkalooban ng prangkisa ang kumpanya.
Nabatid na sinisingil ng National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) ang NOW Telecom ng mahigit P2.6 bilyong hindi nabayarang SRF at penalties na naipon na mula pa noong 2004.
“There are a lot of confusing things in this particular franchise application. That they’re non-operation for a period of time, the change of ownership and then now the sister company having these liabilities,” ayon kay Poe.
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