I refer to the article entitled MCA revenue half of that planned (TMID 9 February) and would like to clarify a number of inaccuracies.

The article says: “MCA had expected 2004 to bring in Lm4 million in licence fees but only Lm2.2 million were received.” The Lm4 million quoted includes both the licence fees collected by the former Wireless and Telegraphy Department (WTD) and those of the Malta Communications Authority (MCA). The MCA actually targeted Lm2.10 million to be collected from licence fees in 2004, but in actual fact, collected Lm2.27 million. This results in Lm170,000 in excess of projections.

The difference between the Lm4 million and the Lm2.27 million collected by the MCA (Lm1.73 million) was indeed collected by the WTD. The Accounts and Financial Statements for 2005 will be reporting the revenue and expenditure of both the MCA and the WTD since the latter’s functions for spectrum management have been integrated to those of the MCA.

Since its inception in 2001, the MCA has always managed to generate more revenue that that projected, due to growth in the electronic communications industry.

Mandy Falzon

Communications Officer

Malta Communications Authority