Emma Okonji
Telecoms Subscribers under the aegis of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS) has called on the relevant agencies, especially the Ministry of Communications, the National Assembly (Lower and Upper Chambers), and the Nigerian Communications Commission, to embrace zero tolerance in telecoms tariff, by repealing all laws that seek to encourage telecoms tariff hike in the country.
President of NATCOMS, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, who made the call, said it became necessary in view of the untold hardship currently being experienced by Nigerians as a result of the economic recession that the country is passing through.
Making reference to CNBC Africa news, which reported recently that
Zimbabwe has reversed a recent telecoms tariff hike, hitherto imposed on telecoms operators in that country, Ogunbanjo said Nigeria should take a cue from from Zimbabwe’s Information Communication Technology Minister, Supa Mandiwanzira, who directed the immediate suspension of the telecoms tariff increase that was effected last week in the country, as reported by CBN Africa News.
Ogunbanjo who commended the Zimbabwean government for reversing its earlier decision to hike telecoms price in the country, also called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to slash telecoms tariff in Nigeria and allow telecoms operators operate at a level that will boost reinvestment of revenue in network expansion, which he said, will bring a lot of relief to telecoms subscribers in Nigeria.
Part of the CBNC Africa News report, which was published January 13, 2017, states that: Zimbabwe has reversed a decision to impose a drastic increase in mobile phone data charges, which provoked an angry response from customers and critics who accused President Robert Mugabe’s government of trying to curtail the use of social media.
Last year activists used the Internet to mobilise the biggest anti-government protests in a decade, bypassing traditional opposition parties as anger grew over Mugabe’s handling of the economy.
Econet Wireless, the southern African nation’s largest mobile telephone company, in Zimbabwe, raised data charges by a multiple of 25, in line with new regulations from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe.
But Information Communication Technology Minister Supa Mandiwanzira said in a statement that the tariff increases were “shockingly high” and blamed mobile phone companies for “gluttonous corporate greed”.
Mandiwanzira said that the new prices had been proposed to the regulator by mobile phone companies. “I have directed the immediate suspension of the tariff increases that were effected two days ago to the dismay of many mobile phone users,” Mandiwanzira said.
Econet’s cheapest data package, which came into effect on Wednesday night, gives users 10 megabytes of data for $1, compared with 250 megabytes per dollar previously.
