Government dragging its feet on new NBTC board

The new board of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is unlikely to be established soon as the government wants the existing commissioners to remain in office for a certain period of time, according to a source at the regulator who requested anonymity.

On Dec 20 last year, the Senate voted in favour of five of the seven prospective candidates put forth by the Senate’s selection committee to become new NBTC board members.

The new board must receive royal endorsement before officially starting. But the prime minister has yet to forward the list of the five prospective commissioners for royal endorsement, though the Senate vote was carried out seven weeks ago.

The existing six commissioners end their term once the new board members are royally endorsed.

They are working under a special extension term granted by the previous military…