THE regulator of the telecommunications sector in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has invited operators for dialogue over their demand for end user tariff hike for calls, data and other services.
It was gathered that NCC and the regulator and operators would weigh the options for a possible win-win for all the stakeholders, especially in view of the biting economic situation in the country.
Since the removal of fuel subsidy and hike in electricity charges, which have led to rising cost of production and services, operators say it has become imperative for them to adjust prices/tariff to remain afloat.
To make the impending tariff hike acceptable to the public, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, at a meeting in Abuja, recently, counselled the operators to first engage with their customers and get their understanding of the issues involved.
Recall that the operators, in a joint statement, had requested nod of the regulator to hike tariff to reflect the cost of doing business in the country.
Their umbrella body, the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), in the statement, sought the Federal Government’s approval to charge what they described as “a cost-reflective tariff” for services rendered.
They added: “Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last 11 years, primarily due to regulatory constraints.
“For a fully liberalised and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence.
“ATCON and ALTON call upon the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability.”
The operators said telecommunications infrastructure development required substantial investments in network expansion, maintenance and technology upgrades.
