TRA Bahrain Publishes New Guidelines

Mobilk - In the interest of the TRA’s continuous efforts towards consumer protection, and ensuring transparency as well as non-discriminatory practices; the Authority is pleased to announce the publication of two important documents: The Fining Guidelines, and the Consultation on the Dispute Resolution Guidelines.

The Fining Guidelines followed a consultation process, launched in December 2013, which saw submissions from Zain, VIVA and Batelco, where the TRA has published Fining Guidelines for the setting of the amount of a fine for violations of Articles 35 and/or 65 of the Telecommunications Law. The Fining Guidelines also serve to ensure that the amount of any fine will serve as a sufficient deterrent against any further violations.  This is yet another effective tool for the TRA to ultimately make sure that the consumer is protected and that competition is truly being fostered.

As part of its initiatives under its 3-year plan, the TRA has also launched a public consultation on the Draft Dispute Resolution Guidelines.  The TRA is introducing a 5-step process for determining inter-operator disputes, which also involves an informal stage wherein the TRA will seek to act as a mediator between the parties to try and reach an agreeable settlement.  Key Performance Indicators with very strict timelines are being introduced to ensure that the TRA can measure its own performance.  More importantly the Guidelines set out the information that is expected to be provided by the parties in dispute. The TRA is committed to publishing all decisions on its own website consistent with its transparency obligations. In drafting the Guidelines, the TRA has taken into account the best industry practices by incorporating some of the principles adopted by OFCOM in the UK, COMREG in Ireland and the MCA in Malta.