KEY POINTS
- FG to approve telecom tariff hike but below the proposed 100 percent.
- Government aims to balance consumer protection with telecom sector growth.
- NCC to simplify telecom charges for greater transparency and compliance.
Telecom providers will raise their tariffs, the Federal Government has said, but its decision not to back the operators’ 100 percent hike.
Dr. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani made this known during a stakeholders’ meeting with Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Abuja on Tuesday.
Striking a balance
Dr. Tijani assured Nigerians that consultations made will determine a reasonable tariff adjustment. However, the government has a dual mandate to protect consumers and ensure telecom operators can invest in infrastructure sustainably.
And you’ve seen in the past weeks the agitation some companies had for a 100 percent tariff increase. However, the vision would not be 100 percent, he said.
“We want to protect our people and strike balance so these companies can continue investing so significantly.”
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) would finalize the revised tariffs and make the changes in weeks, he added.
Infrastructure and investment address
Tijani also highlighted the need for meaningful connectivity through highlighting that telecom infrastructure investments alone cannot be funded by the private sector.
‘We have left these investments over time to private companies that look for short to medium-term returns.’ He explained that the government will be more active in infrastructure development.
But the minister also urged stakeholders to set their sights on providing high quality connectivity as opposed to the talk of tariff rises.
Transparency and consumer understanding
Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, said that the commission is reviewing its regulations on quality of service to ensure that the people of Nigeria find the telecom charges simple.
‘We’re moving away from the regime where there are big differences between rates and bonuses.’ This often makes it very difficult for Nigerians to understand exactly what they are being charged for,” Maida said.
