First Regional Workshop on New Telecoms Regulation Tools and Electronic Fiscal Solutions Hosted by Global Voice Group and SGS-Société Générale de Surveillance: A Resounding Success

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, December 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

GVG-SGS Workshop for West African telecoms regulators and fiscal authorities, Abidjan, Ivory Coast, November 26-27, 2013

Global Voice Group (GVG) is pleased to confirm the great success of the first regional workshop on new telecoms regulation tools and electronic fiscal solutions for West African telecoms regulators and tax administrations. A joint initiative of GVG and SGS-Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), this high-level event took place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on November 26-27, 2013.

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The organizers wish to thank the attendees for their highly appreciated participation, including representatives from the Telecoms Regulatory Agencies and Tax Administrations of Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Togo.

For this first workshop of its kind in West Africa, GVG and SGS decided to invite both telecoms regulatory agencies and tax administrations in order to gain a deeper understanding of their common challenges, including control and protection of the telecoms sector's revenue. Issues more specific to each authority were also addressed in details, such as quality of service monitoring tools, telecommunications fraud management, new regulatory tools in the context of IP convergence, and new electronic fiscal systems.

Many of the technological tools presented by GVG and SGS were also demonstrated in order to allow participants to appreciate their potential and effectiveness.

According to M. François Dugué, Senior VP at GVG and one of the workshop's principal organizers and presenters: "Telecommunications are a key growth sector in Africa, strong in some respects and vulnerable in some others, particularly in the context of IP convergence. These workshops give us a great opportunity to take stock of the latest improvements in terms of governance technologies. GVG is an active participant to the ITU's Study Groups and our company also sponsors major events such as the African Telecom People. These events allow interesting exchanges between the various stakeholders of the industry, often on questions of general interest. Our workshops are directed specifically to the regulators and address in details the practical issues that concern them in particular."

SGS devotes a large part of its resources and unique expertise to helping world and Africa's governments optimize their governance. Regarding the telecoms sector, SGS has entered into an exclusive partnership with GVG in 2011, which led to the implementation of cutting-edge solutions for the regulation of the sector in Rwanda and Tanzania.

About GVG

Founded in 1998, GVG develops and implements governance technologies specifically designed with the telecoms regulators in mind. Its advanced traffic and fraud management systems are currently being used successfully in many countries, including Rwanda, Ghana, Liberia, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea-Conakry, Togo, Central African Republic, and Tanzania.

About SGS

SGS is the world's leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 75 000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 1 500 offices and laboratories around the world.