Tightened requirements for telecom equipment in Angola

Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is located on the west- central coast of Southern Africa and has a population of nearly 40 million, with Portuguese being the official language and Christianity being the predominate religion. The capital and largest city is Luanda. As in many other counties in Africa, approval of telecom/communication equipment is mandatory in Angola.
As a result of recent incidents of counterfeit approval certificates found in their market, the Angolan National Regulatory Institute for Communications, INACOM (Instituto Angolano das Comunicações) has taken various actions to reinforce the security of its documentation and approval processes, including the following:
Temporary Suspension of Certificates
As an immediate mitigation measure, INACOM has placed all pending certificates under a temporary suspension. This pause allows the agency to conduct a thorough review of submitted documentation and eliminate any risk of fraudulent materials being processed or approved.
Reinforced Compliance Obligations for Applicants
To ensure only legitimate applications proceed through the system, INACOM now requires stricter adherence to regulatory protocols. All stakeholders involved in the approval process must comply with updated submission requirements or risk severe penalties, including the termination of their project and possible legal consequences.
 1. Verification of Letters of Authorization (LoAs)
     Applicants must guarantee that:
     -All LoAs submitted are current and clearly valid.
     -Incomplete, vague, or improperly dated LoAs will be outright rejected under the new scrutiny guidelines.
 2. Renewal Application Requirements
      Renewal submissions must now include:
      -The legal name of the local entity associated with the project.
      -A valid and verifiable tax identification number.

These measures shall also ensue a more transparent and accountable framework for managing telecommunications and wireless device approvals in Angola.

For further information or assistance with approval of telecom/communication products for Angola and other African countries, please contact Geremy.Bradshaw@nemko.com

(This article is based on information provided by Geremy Bradshaw and available from the various sources on the internet; edited by T.Sollie)