 ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL  
DEL COMERCIO  S/DCS/W/UGA 
24 de enero de 2003  
 (03-0495) 
Comercio de Servicios Original:   inglés 
 
 
 
UGANDA 
 
Proyecto de Lista refundida de Compromisos Específicos1 
 
 
 El documento adjunto contiene un proyect o de la Lista refundida de Compromisos 
Específicos de Uganda, en formato Word.  Este documento no sustituye los compromisos 
jurídicamente vinculantes contraídos por Uga nda en su Lista de Compromisos Específicos 
(GATS/SC/89;  GATS/SC/89/Suppl.1/Rev.1).   El proyecto de Lista refundida fue preparado por la Secretaría, a petición de los Miembros, 
para facilitar el proceso de las negociaciones, incluida la presentación de ofertas iniciales. 
 
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1 Este documento se ha preparado, en inglés solament e, bajo la responsabilidad de la Secretaría y sin 
perjuicio de las posiciones de los Miembros ni de sus derechos y obligaciones en el marco de la OMC.  S/DCS/W/UGA 
Página 2 UGANDA – SCHEDULE OF SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS 
Modes of supply:  (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
2. COMMUNICATION 
SERVICES 
    
C. Telecommunication 
Services1 
 
 Facilities based public-
switched telecommunication services on fixed network 
infrastructure: 
  
  
 Uganda undertakes the obligations 
contained in the reference paper attached hereto. 
(a) Basic voice services, 
including over value-added 
networks such as Internet 
(b) Private voice network 
services to third parties 1) International basic voice 
telephony traffic must be carried 
through networks of the duopoly major licence holders and other 
pre-existing licence holders, 
according to the terms of those licences. 
2) None 1) None 
 
  
 
  
2) None  
 
 3) SNO inaugurated service  
 21 October 1998.  Thereafter, 
Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) and Second National Operator 
(SNO)
2 duopoly exclusivity, 
subject to Uganda Government review after 2003.  Neither UTL 
nor its affiliates shall hold 
interests in the SNO or its affiliates nor shall SNO or its 
affiliates hold ownership in the 
UTL or its affiliates.  Company must be registered in Uganda. 
 3) None 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 The interpretation of "Major licence" 
and "Minor licence" are as by the 
definitions given by the Uganda Communications Act 1997.
3 
 
                                                           
 1 Excludes video and audio broadcast services 
 2 "SNO" means the first public operator other than UTL issued with a major licence. 
 3 i.e. Major licence includes a licence for th e provision of local, long distance or international telephone services, trunk cap acity resale, rural telecommunications, store and 
forward messaging, cellular or mobile services;  and minor licence includes all other licen ces not being major licences.   S/DCS/W/UGA
 Página 3Modes of supply:  (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
 4)  Unbound except for technical 
personnel unless Ugandans are or become available.  Entry and 
temporary stay of foreign service 
suppliers subject to compliance with laws, regulations and 
guidelines in force in Uganda. 
 4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market access.  
 Private voice and data for 
closed user groups (group of 
people with stable common 
and long-term economic interest) 
 1) None, except cross-border 
access alternative for voice 
should be through the duopoly 
major licence holders. 
2) None 
3) Resale of excess capacity not 
allowed.  Company must be registered in Uganda. 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel unless Ugandans are or become available.  Entry and 
temporary stay of foreign service 
suppliers subject to compliance 
with laws, regulations and 
guidelines in force in Uganda. 
 1) None 
 
 
 2) None 
3) None 
  
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market access. 
 
  
 
(o) Other     
- Mobile cellular voice and 
data 1) Roaming is allowed but cross-
border access permitted only via 
network of duopoly major 
licence operator. 
2) None 1) None 
 
 
 2) None   S/DCS/W/UGA 
Página 4 Modes of supply:  (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
 
 3) Two operators existing.  Up to 
2003 a maximum of 3 (three) operators to have cellular mobile 
licences as a service.  The third 
operator will be UTL.  Company must be registered in Uganda. 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel unless Ugandans are or become available.  Entry and 
temporary stay of foreign service 
suppliers subject to compliance with laws, regulations and 
guidelines in force in Uganda. 
5)  3) None 
  
 
  
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market access. 
 
  
 
- Data services TCP/IP 
(Internet) 
 1) None, except international voice 
over Internet, not permitted 
during the five year exclusivity 
period of the duopoly major licence holders. 
2) None 
3) Company must be registered in 
Uganda 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel unless Ugandans are 
or become available.  Entry and 
temporary stay of foreign service suppliers subject to compliance 
with laws, regulations and 
guidelines in force in Uganda. 
 1) None 
 
 
  
2) None 
3) None 
 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market 
access. 
   
 
- Paging services  1) Cross border permitted only via 
networks of duopoly major licence operator. 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under 
market access. 
 1) None 
  
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound 
  
   S/DCS/W/UGA
 Página 5Modes of supply:  (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
- Private mobile radio 
 - Trunked mobile radio 
 1) Cross-border supply only via 
networks of duopoly major licence operator. 
2) None 
3) Company must be registered in 
Uganda 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel unless Ugandans are or become available.  Entry and 
temporary stay of foreign service 
suppliers subject to compliance with laws, regulations and 
guidelines in force in Uganda. 
  1) None 
  
2) None 
3) None  
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market access. 
 
  
 
 Global mobile personal 
communications by satellite 
operations 
 1) Permitted only with agreement 
with one or more duopoly 
operators as well as arrangements under GMPCS-
MoU, to which Uganda is a 
signatory. 
2) None 
3) Company must be registered in 
Uganda 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel unless Ugandans are or become available.  Entry and 
temporary stay of foreign service 
suppliers subject to compliance with laws, regulations and 
guidelines in force in Uganda. 
 1) None 
 
  
 
 
2) None 
3) None  
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market access 
  
  S/DCS/W/UGA 
Página 6 Modes of supply:  (1) Cross-border supply (2) Consumption abroad (3) Commercial presence (4) Presence of natural persons  
Sector or Sub-sector Limitations on Market Access Limi tations on  National Treatm ent Additional Commitments 
9. TOURISM AND TRAVEL 
RELATED SERVICES 
  
  
  
 
A. Hotels and Restaurants  
 1) None 
2) None 
3) Government approval is required 
in accordance with the 
Investment Code and the 
regulations within it. 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel except where 
Ugandans are or become available.  Entry and temporary 
stay of foreign service suppliers 
subject to compliance with laws, regulations and guidelines in 
force in Uganda. 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None  
 
 4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market 
access. 
 
  
 
B. Travel Agencies/Tour 
Operators  
 1) None 
2) None 
3) Government approval required 
through Investment Authority. 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel except where 
Ugandans are or become 
available.  Entry and temporary stay of foreign service suppliers 
subject to compliance with laws, 
regulations and guidelines in force in Uganda. 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None 
 
4) Unbound except for technical 
personnel stipulated under market 
access. 
   
  S/DCS/W/UGA 
 Página 7 
 
 
REFERENCE PAPER 
Scope  
 
The following are definitions and principl es on the regulatory framework for the basic 
telecommunications services.    Definitions
 
 
Users  mean service consumers and service suppliers.   
 Essential facilities
 mean facilities of a public telecommunications transport network or service that 
 
a) are exclusively or predominantly provided by a single or limited number of suppliers;  
and 
 
(b) cannot feasibly be economically or technically substituted in order to provide a 
service. 
 A major supplier
 is a supplier which has the ability to mate rially affect the terms of participation 
(having regard to price and supply) in the releva nt market for basic telecommunications services as a 
result of:  
(a) control over essential facilities;  or 
 
(b) use of its position in the market. 
 
1. Competitive safeguards
 
 1.1 Prevention of anti-competitive practices in telecommunications
 
 
Appropriate measures shall be maintained for the purpose of preventing suppliers who, alone 
or together, are a major supplier from engaging  in or continuing anti-competitive practices. 
 1.2 Safeguards
 
 
The anti-competitive practices referred to above shall include in particular: 
 
(a) engaging in anti-competitive cross-subsidization;   
 
(b) using information obtained from compet itors with anti-competitive results;  and 
 
(c) not making available to other services suppliers on a timely basis technical 
information about essential facilities and co mmercially relevant information which 
are necessary for them to provide services.  
 2. Interconnection
 
 
2.1 This section applies to linking with suppli ers providing public telecommunications transport 
networks or services in order to allow the users of  one supplier to communicate with users of another 
supplier and  to access services provided by anot her supplier, where specific commitments are 
undertaken.  S/DCS/W/UGA 
Página 8 
 
 
2.2 Interconnection to be ensured  
 
Interconnection with a major supplier will be ensu red at any technically feasible point in the 
network.  Such interconnection is provided. 
 
(a) under non-discriminatory terms, conditi ons (including technical standards and 
specifications) and rates and of a quality no less favourable than that provided for its 
own like services or for like services of non-affiliated service suppliers or for its 
subsidiaries or other affiliates; 
 
(b) in a timely fashion, on terms, conditions (including technical standards and 
specifications) and cost-oriented rates that ar e transparent, reasonable, having regard 
to economic feasibility, and sufficiently unbundl ed so that the supplier need not pay 
for network components or facilities that it does not require for the service to be 
provided;  and 
 
(c) upon request, at points in addition to th e network termination points offered to the 
majority of users, subject to charges that reflect the cost of construction of necessary additional facilities. 
 
2.3 Public availability of the pro cedures for interconnection negotiations
 
  The procedures applicable for interconnecti on to a major supplier will be made publicly 
available.  
2.4 Transparency of interconnection arrangements
 
  It is ensured that a major supplier will make  publicly available either its interconnection 
agreements or a reference interconnection offer.  
2.5 Interconnection:  dispute settlement
 
  A service supplier requesting interconnection with  a major supplier will have recourse, either: 
 
(a) at any time or 
 
(b) after a reasonable period of time which has been made publicly known 
 to an independent domestic body, which may be a regulatory body as referred to in paragraph 5 
below, to resolve disputes regarding appropriate te rms, conditions and rates for interconnection within 
a reasonable period of time, to the extent th at these have not been established previously. 
 
3. Universal service
 
  Any Member has the right to define the kind of universal service obligation it wishes to maintain.  Such obligations will not be regard ed as anti-competitive per se, provided they are 
administered in a transparent, non-discriminator y and competitively neutral manner and are not more 
burdensome than necessary for the kind of universal service defined by the Member.      S/DCS/W/UGA 
 Página 9 
 
 
4. Public availability of licensing criteria  
 Where a licence is required, the following will be made publicly available: 
 
(a) all the licensing criteria and the period of time normally required to reach a decision 
concerning an application for a licence and 
 (b) the terms and conditions  of individual licences. 
 
The reasons for the denial of a licence will be  made known to the applicant upon request. 
 5. Independent regulators
 
 
The regulatory body is separate from, and not accountable to, any supplier of basic 
telecommunications services. The decisions of and the procedures used by regulators shall be 
impartial with respect to all market participants.  6. Allocation and use of scarce resources
 
 
Any procedures for the allocation and use of scarce resources, including frequencies, numbers 
and rights of way, will be carried out in an obj ective, timely, transparent and non-discriminatory 
manner.  The current state of allocated frequency ba nds will be made publicly available, but detailed 
identification of frequencies allocated for specific government uses is not required.  
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