The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has issued the draft amendment regulations for the Telecom Consumers Education and Protection Fund (TCEPF) to seek input from stakeholders. This move comes as a response to the need for certain expenses related to activities such as account preparation and audit, which are to be covered by the TCEPF, requiring appropriate provisions.

The TCEPF was established following the TRAI’s notification of regulations on June 15, 2007, with the aim of creating a fund dedicated to education and protection of telecom consumers.

Under these proposed amendments, specific portions of the existing rules will be modified to address the utilization of funds for tasks like consumer outreach programs, workshops, and the development of educational materials to disseminate vital information to consumers, PTI reported.

The TRAI highlights that expenditures for tasks such as preparing, maintaining, and auditing accounts, as well as enabling consumer group representatives to participate in Committee on Utilisation of TCEF (CUTCEF) meetings, should be drawn from the TCEPF.

The draft regulations are accessible on the TRAI website, and stakeholders have until August 14, 2023, to provide their comments on the proposed changes.