Operating Cost Caused Telcos Tariff Hike

The current tariff regime in the telecom sector is not sustainable according to Association of Licensed  Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON),

According to ALTON, the price review should be considered in line with the rising operating cost, adding that operators are burdened by 52 taxes across the country.

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON, disclosed this in Lagos, during a stakeholders’ meeting with Dr. Aminu Maida, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).

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Adebayo said that “Our current pricing regime is no longer sustainable. That is the fact, with the way things are going, I am not sure we can sustain this sector with the current pricing regime,”

He also urged the EVC to intervene in the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) debts owed them by Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), which he noted has now hit N200 billion.

He noted that the total debt must be paid, stressing that the association would not hesitate blocking debtor banks from accessing the service.

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While assuring the NCC EVC of the support of stakeholders in the sector, he said it is important to put a timeline on resolutions reached at the meeting.

Also, Anthony Emoekpere, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said there is a need to bridge the telecom infrastructure in the country as part of measures to improve the quality of service.

The NCC boss while assuring the stakeholders of his support and commitment to the growth of the sector, said his action would be guided by the Renewed Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the policy guidelines enumerated by Dr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.