Helena Fernandes is the new Chairperson of the Board of Directors (PCA) of the Communications Regulatory Authority – INCM, following her appointment during the 20th Session of the Council of Ministers, which took place on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. An economist with a Master’s in Business Management, Helena Fernandes replaces Tuaha Mote (who held the position since September 2021), becoming the sixth individual to occupy the PCA role and the second woman to hold the highest position in this institution since its establishment in 1992.
She has approximately 18 years of experience in leadership and management roles within the state apparatus, public finance management, and in projects financed by international organizations. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Executive Board Member in charge of Corporate Affairs, a position she assumed in 2021.
Within INCM, she held the positions of Director of Administration and Finance Services and Administrator of Engineering and Supervision concurrently, where she represented the institution in international organizations, occupying leadership roles, including:
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Chairperson of the Finance and Audit Committee of CRASA
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Vice-Chairperson of the Finance and Budget Committee of the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
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Chairperson of the Finance and Budget Committee of the World Telecommunication Development Conference
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Chairperson of the Finance and Audit Committee of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO)
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Member of the Regional Advisory Group to the ITU Regional Director
Before joining INCM, she was the manager of External Funds and Head of the Financial Department at the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT).
According to the statutes approved by Decree No. 39/2021 of June 17, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors has executive functions, with the competence to lead the institution, preside over the meetings of the Board of Directors, ensure the regular functioning of INCM, execute and enforce the law, resolutions, and deliberations of the Board of Directors; coordinate the preparation of the annual activity plan, and manage INCM’s human, material, financial, and patrimonial resources.
It is also the responsibility of the PCA to exercise the powers of direction, management, and discipline of the staff; represent INCM in legal matters and outside of them, namely with the supervisory authority, the Government, national, regional, and international regulatory bodies and institutions in the communications sector.
INCM is a public institution endowed with legal personality, administrative, financial, and patrimonial autonomy, which regulates, supervises, inspects, sanctions, and represents the country in matters of the postal and telecommunications sector.
