Continued from part 1
Ooredoo Myanmar is just starting to understand the country’s complex land-use permitting process, and at the same time the central and local authorizes are being completely swamped with requests from not only Ooredoo, but Telenor and the incumbent as well.
“The challenge the government is just realizing for the first time is the sheer number of requests for [land-use] permits, because it’s not just us,” said Ooredoo Myanmar CEO Ross Cormack said. “Our noble competitors down the road are doing the same thing. And the existing operator is looking to expand, so suddenly all the authorities are completely deluged with requests.”
The country’s complex land-use laws are made more complicated by moves to restore land to its previous owners, which the government has been doing over the last two to three years.
“There is quite some confusion over who owns land, and the use of that land again is complex. Getting change-use for telecommunications is something that the central government is helping us with, and permitting for build is something that local authorities are helping us with,” he explained.
“There are huge complexities in all this. We’re getting a lot of support from the central and local governments, but it’s not over yet as we have a lot of permits to obtain.”