The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has disclosed that telecommunications companies (telcos) will commence the full introduction of new tariffs in March....Read Full Article >>➤
On January 20, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for granted telecommunications companies (telcos) to implement a 50 percent tariff hike. Three days later, the minister of finance, Wale Edun, said the tariff in the telecommunications sector would undergo periodic reviews.
The chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, who made this disclosure while speaking with newsmen at a forum with telecoms executives, said the telcos will issue their tariffs differently and are currently filing, reviewing, and obtaining approvals from the regulator.
“So we are now following what is called the regulatory requirement, regulatory steps of filing, review and obtaining approvals,”
“As soon as those approvals come through, different players will introduce new rates as the time comes.
“I’ll say over next week, we start seeing some improvement in the prices.
“I’ll say over next week, we start seeing some improvement in the prices.
“Over the next month, we should start seeing some total introduction in what the new rates will be like, but it’s important that we’ve come to a point where what has to be done has to be done for the sector to survive, ” Adebayo said.
Also, Adebayo said the tariff adjustment is essential for the survival of the telecommunications sector, stressing that the government should not rely on the sector to subsidise others.
“The other side of it is that the sector cannot be the subsidy for other sectors,” he said.
Also, ALTON chairman said the tariff adjustment is essential for the survival of the telecommunications sector, stressing that the government should not rely on the sector to subsidise others.
“The other side of it is that the sector cannot be the subsidy for other sectors,” he said.
“So you can’t say because cost of garri and pepper and okro has gone up, we now have to subsidise people’s living by providing services that are sold at lower than cost. It’s a matter of time before we start seeing the negatives.
“I think it is important that we need to charge rates that are sustainable and we can’t stand as a subsidy for the problems of people in other sectors, which is not the problem caused by the operators.
“Government cannot outsource that problem to their network operators to solve for the public.
“The government needs to provide adequate palliatives to help people live, and our services cannot be used for those palliatives.”
On the N250 unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) debt with banks, Adebayo confirmed that progress is being made towards a final resolution.
“I must thank all the stakeholders for the effort that has gone into talking about that,” he said.
“The implication is to say that when we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, progress is being made, and the complex matter of USSD debt is being resolved.”
Additionally, Adebayo said the tensions in the sector have reduced, and concerns have declined as the industry moves closer to a final resolution. ...Read Full Article >>➤
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